EFCC seizes ex-Justice Minister Malami's passport over $490m Abacha loot probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized the international passport of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The seizure was announced in an EFCC fact sheet detailing its investigation into Malami’s role concerning the whereabouts of $490 million in recovered Abacha loot.

The funds were secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process.

According to the commission, the seizure means Malami cannot travel out of Nigeria without explicit permission from the EFCC or a court order.

This development follows the former minister’s invitation and interrogation at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

He was subsequently released on administrative bail in the early hours of Saturday (around 1 am) but is required to report to the commission daily for further questioning.

The EFCC clarified its position, stating, “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.”

Explaining the seizure, the commission added, “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.”

While Malami has publicly dismissed the allegations as fabricated, the EFCC stated it would not engage in a public dispute with him.

The commission committed to releasing its findings to the public only after a “painstaking investigation.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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