The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confiscated the international passport of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged $490 million Abacha loot recovered through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) arrangement.
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A credible EFCC source confirmed on Sunday that Malami has been restricted from leaving Nigeria for one month, pending the conclusion of key investigative steps. The source added that as a condition for his release on Saturday, the former minister was instructed to report daily to EFCC headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.
“The former minister may not travel out of the country except with mutual consent from the EFCC or a valid High Court order,” the source said.
According to investigators, Malami is expected to clarify several issues in the coming weeks, particularly the whereabouts of the $490 million recovered through the MLAT process.
“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,” the source stressed, noting that Malami is expected to review a large volume of documents and undergo extensive interviews.
The EFCC has declined to engage in public exchanges over the development, insisting that its findings will be made public at the conclusion of a thorough inquiry.
Reacting to the allegations in a post on X, Malami dismissed them as fabricated but expressed gratitude for what he described as divine intervention.
He stated that his engagement with the EFCC had been “successful” and confirmed he was released pending further meetings. While he did not address the reported seizure of his passport, he maintained that “the truth about the fabricated allegations will soon unfold.”
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