$490m Abacha Loot: Trouble For Ex-AGF Malami As EFCC Seizes His Passport

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced on Saturday that it has confiscated the travel passport of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

This action is part of an ongoing investigation into Malami’s alleged involvement in the handling of $490 million of funds looted by former military ruler Sani Abacha, which were secured through Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT).

The EFCC has stated that Malami is prohibited from leaving Nigeria without obtaining permission from the court.

Recall that the former AGF had earlier been invited and interrogated by the commission in its headquarters in Abuja.

He was later released on administrative bail on Saturday at about 1 am and was asked to report daily to the commission for further interrogation.

The EFCC said, “We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.

“Considering the huge volumes of documents he has to go through and the detectives he needs to interact with, we have seized his international passport.

“One of the conditions for his release on bail at 1am on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC headquarters for interaction.

“He cannot travel out of the country except as mutually agreed with EFCC or with the permission of a High Court,” the commission stated.

While Malami had also said that the allegations against him were fabricated, the commission noted that it would not join issues with the former AGF on the matter.

“We won’t join issues with him on his braggadocio but we will release our findings to the public after painstaking investigation,” the EFCC added.