EFCC on Daily Interrogation of Malami Over $490m Relooted Abacha Loot

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has directed former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to appear before its investigators every day throughout December as part of an ongoing probe into the alleged diversion of $490 million Abacha loot recovered under a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) arrangement.

A senior EFCC source disclosed on Monday that Malami was summoned for questioning on Saturday and subsequently restricted from travelling outside Nigeria for the next one month.

The source said one of the conditions for his release was a mandate requiring him to report to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja daily for further interrogation.

According to the official, investigators expect Malami to face extensive questioning due to the scale of the probe and the seriousness of the allegations.

“We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month. He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December. He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st… because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source said.

The source added that a fact sheet prepared by the commission showed Malami still had several matters to clarify over the coming weeks.

“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT. 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 official stated.

The EFCC also cited the need to review large volumes of documents and conduct extensive interviews as reasons for retaining Malami’s passport.

The commission, according to the source, intends to avoid public confrontations and will release its findings only after completing its investigation.

Meanwhile, Malami has rejected the allegations, insisting the probe is politically motivated.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, he confirmed he honoured the EFCC invitation on November 28 and described the engagement as productive, stressing he remains confident of being exonerated.

He dismissed the allegations as “baseless, illogical and devoid of substance,” adding that they “collapse under factual scrutiny.”