Malami Dismisses EFCC Allegations on Abacha Loot Recovery as “Baseless and Illogical”

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has strongly refuted allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he duplicated the recovery process of the $310 million Abacha loot, which later amounted to $322.5 million with accumulated interest.

In a statement issued on Monday, Malami described the claims as “baseless, illogical and wholly devoid of substance,” insisting that his actions as AGF were lawful, transparent and consistent with established procedures for international asset recovery.

The EFCC had alleged that Malami initiated a parallel process for the repatriation of the funds, a move the agency suggested created irregularities in the recovery chain.

However, the former minister said the allegations were not only unfounded but also misrepresented the facts surrounding the negotiations with foreign partners.

He maintained that all recovery efforts undertaken during his tenure followed due process and were executed in collaboration with relevant government agencies, foreign governments and international institutions.

According to Malami, the repatriated funds were subject to strict monitoring frameworks agreed upon with international partners, adding that every stage of the recovery was documented and approved by the Federal Government.

He further argued that the EFCC’s claims lacked legal and evidentiary backing, calling on the public to disregard what he described as an attempt to distort the historical record of the Abacha loot recovery.

The controversy adds a new twist to ongoing scrutiny of past asset recovery processes, which have been the subject of repeated investigations, parliamentary reviews and public debate.

The EFCC has not yet responded to Malami’s latest remarks.