U.S. President Donald Trump has disbanded the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, an elite Department of Justice (DOJ) team tasked with tracing the billions of dollars assets looted by Nigeria’s late military Head of State, Sani Abacha and other international corruption, Peoples Gazette reports.

A source close to the unit confirmed to The Gazette on Saturday that newly appointed United States’ Attorney General Pam Bondi ‘quietly’ dismantled the team earlier this week following authorisation by Mr Trump as his administration continues to wind down several government programs.

This decision to disband the team came as a surprise to many as the team was responsible for recoveries and prosecutions linked to billions of dollars in stolen assets, including the ongoing litigation involving some of Abacha’s loot traced to Atiku Bagudu, President Bola Tinubu’s budget minister.

This development could potentially make it difficult to find previously undiscovered Abacha cash stockpiles, which investigators still believe are out there — the

Kleptocracy initiative was specifically launched in 2010 to track down assets linked to international corruption.

The Gazette had yet to get a response after reaching out to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comment. Also, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga didn’t respond to a request for comment.

It was unclear how the DOJ would proceed with the case already in U.S. courts, or whether it would continue to cooperate with parallel proceedings to trace and return Abacha loot in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions. 

Mr Trump’s administration said it would focus instead on dismantling narcotics and human trafficking networks.