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 a deepening investigation into the handling of $490 million recovered from the late General Sani Abacha’s loot.
The seizure, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, forms part of stringent bail conditions imposed on the former minister, who is now restricted from leaving the country for 30 days while investigators scrutinise the movement and management of the repatriated funds.
Malami, who was released on administrative bail at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, is required to report daily to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja throughout the next month. According to investigators, this period is necessary for him to provide detailed explanations regarding the movement, utilisation, and current location of the $490 million recovered through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
A fact sheet made available to journalists indicated that the former Attorney General has multiple issues to clarify.
“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT),” EFCC officials stated.
“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.”
Passport Seizure to Prevent Flight Risk
In view of the large volume of documents and extensive sessions expected during the probe, the EFCC said it was necessary to restrict Malami’s travel.
“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,” the fact sheet noted.
Officials added that Malami cannot leave Nigeria without EFCC approval or an order from a High Court — a measure they described as standard procedure in high-level financial investigations.
Investigation to Continue for 30 Days
Over the next month, Malami will face sustained interrogation as detectives attempt to trace the route and present status of the $490 million, one of the largest single tranches of the Abacha loot repatriated to Nigeria.
EFCC sources said the agency will not respond to the “braggadocio” attributed to the former minister in recent public comments.
“We won’t join issues with him…but we will release our findings to the public after painstaking investigation,” the agency stated.
The $490 million, part of billions stolen during the Abacha military regime, was returned to Nigeria under an international legal cooperation agreement. Questions have since emerged about transparency in its management, prompting the ongoing probe.
Malami, who served as AGF from 2015 to 2023, played a central role in negotiations and coordination of various asset-recovery efforts during his tenure — a responsibility now under scrutiny.
