Abacha family repays $150m

The Nigerian authorities say the family of the late military ruler, Sani Abacha, has returned about $150m to the government.

A statement issued by a spokesman for President Olusegun Obasanjo said the payment was made two weeks ago from a frozen Abacha family bank account in Luxembourg.

General Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his sudden death in 1998, is alleged to have embezzled some $3bn of public money.

He is said to have diverted the funds into secret bank accounts - mainly in Britain, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, as well as Luxembourg.

Nigeria has been pursuing a series of legal actions to regain the money.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service