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 probe into the handling of an alleged $490 million Abacha loot repatriated through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) arrangement.
A senior EFCC source confirmed yesterday that Malami has also been restricted from travelling outside the country for the next one month. The former minister, who was released on Saturday, is required to report daily to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja for further questioning.
“The former minister may not leave Nigeria except with EFCC approval or a court order,” the source said.
According to the official, investigators have asked Malami to account for the recovered funds, noting that the commission did not accuse him of theft but demanded clarification on the whereabouts of the MLAT-secured loot.
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“He has several issues to address. We have requested explanations on the $490 million repatriated through MLAT. This is one of the matters he must clarify before investigators,” the source added.
The commission said the temporary seizure of Malami’s passport was due to the volume of documents under review and the need for extensive interviews as the probe progresses.
EFCC officials maintained that the agency would not engage in public exchanges, insisting that its findings would be made public after a full investigation.
Malami, in a post on X, dismissed the allegations as fabricated and expressed gratitude to Allah for what he described as “divine intervention”. He confirmed that his interaction with the EFCC was “successful” and that he had been released pending further meetings, but made no reference to the seized passport.
He reiterated that the truth behind the allegations would soon be revealed.
