Nigeria’s former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is now effectively grounded and under intense scrutiny, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized his international passport amid a fast-widening investigation into the controversial $490 million Abacha loot.
Malami—once the nation’s chief law officer—was grilled for hours late into Friday night, only to be released around 1:00 a.m. on stringent bail conditions that insiders describe as “the toughest ever issued to a former AGF.”
As part of the dramatic restrictions, Malami must report to the EFCC headquarters every single day for the next one month, a move that signals the agency’s deep suspicion and determination to extract answers.
Sources within the anti-graft commission say Malami is far from off the hook.
“We didn’t say he stole the money. But he must account for it. There are serious gaps in the handling and whereabouts of the $490 million,” a senior EFCC officer disclosed.
The commission has also slammed a travel ban on the former minister, barring him from leaving Nigeria unless explicitly cleared by either the EFCC or a High Court—a restriction rarely deployed against someone of his political weight.
Investigators say Malami has “many issues to clarify,” particularly around the repatriated funds obtained under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), a transaction now shrouded in controversy and unanswered questions.
For now, the once-powerful AGF remains under the EFCC’s watchful eye—a dramatic twist in a case that continues to send shockwaves through Nigeria’s political and legal circles.
