Sani Abacha

Brutal Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha hasn't been forgotten, even 23 years after his death. €5.5m was returned to the government of Nigeria by Ireland. The money was looted from the country by Abacha, who placed it in an Irish bank for his eldest son. Abacha was de facto dictator of Nigeria from November 17, 1993 until June 8, 1998. Abacha’s government was infamous for it's brutality, executions, and human rights abuses. Its thought he and his family stole over £5 billion.

In 1995 Nigeria faced worldwide condemnation and was suspended from The Commonwealth after the execution of the Ogoni Nine, environmentalists who were protesting against the government and oil giant Shell. Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential villa in Abuja. He was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition. The government claimed it was a heart attack.