The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its Abuja headquarters daily throughout the month of December.
A credible source within the EFCC revealed to Vanguard on Monday that the daily appearance is a mandatory condition of his release and part of an intensive, ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged $490 million Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
Malami, who honored an EFCC invitation on Saturday, November 28, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next month, as the anti-graft agency confiscated his international passport.
The EFCC source stated: “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. He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.
“He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”
The source explained that the daily reporting is necessary due to the volume and complexity of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against the former Minister.
Investigators are primarily concerned with accountability for the massive repatriated funds. A fact sheet on the former minister indicates that he has multiple issues to clarify.
The source said: “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 commission cited the large volume of documents Malami must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport and demanding daily appearances.
The EFCC maintained that it would not engage in a “war of words” but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.
Malami, in a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, in Abuja, confirmed his engagement with the EFCC but described the investigation as a “political witch-hunt.”
He confirmed he honored the EFCC invitation on November 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.
Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical, and devoid of substance, insisting they would collapse under factual scrutiny.
