Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, has denied allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he duplicated the recovery process of the $310 million (later $322.5 million with interest) Abacha loot, calling the claims “baseless, illogical, and wholly devoid of substance.”
Malami stated in a statement made on Sunday, signed by his media assistant, Mohammed Doka, that he was invited by the EFCC on November 28, 2025, for alleged abuse of office and money laundering related to the recovery.
He claimed that when confronted with facts, both claims fell.
Chronicle NG reports on November 29 that Malami revealed that his engagement with the EFCC, following the commission’s invitation, was successful.
“The EFCC’s position is that I duplicated a recovery process allegedly completed by a Swiss lawyer, Mr. Enrico Monfrini, before I assumed office.
“This allegation collapses immediately when subjected to facts and elementary logic,” Malami said.
Malami argued that no such recovery had taken place before he took office in 2015, pointing out that recovered funds can only be considered full if they are deposited into the Federation Account.
“As of 2016, there was no lodgement of any such funds into the Federation Account. There was therefore no completed recovery in existence, and nothing whatsoever to duplicate,” he said.
He also revealed that Monfrini himself applied in December 2016 to be re-engaged for the same recovery—proof, he said, that the claim of prior completion was illogical.
“It is entirely illogical for a lawyer to apply in December 2016 to be engaged to recover funds he purportedly recovered two years earlier.
“That singular fact exposes the internal contradiction and absurdity of the EFCC’s narrative,” Malami stated.
According to him, Monfrini sought a $5 million advance deposit and a success fee of 40% (later dropped to 20%), which the Buhari administration rejected.
A Nigerian law company was recruited on a 5% success-fee arrangement, saving the country between 15% and 35% of recovered funds, totaling between ₦76.8 billion and ₦179.2 billion.
“These are concrete, measurable benefits to the Nigerian state,” he said.
Malami further revealed that he oversaw various tranches of Abacha loot:
Switzerland allocated $322.5 million to Conditional Cash Transfers through World Bank-monitored transparency mechanisms in 2017-2018.
Jersey allocated approximately $321 million in 2020 for infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kano Road, and Second Niger Bridge.
“Any attempt to conflate these distinct recoveries or to portray a lawful, cost-saving recovery process as duplication is misleading,” he added.
He emphasized that the constitutional powers of the attorney general in asset recovery were exercised “strictly in the public interest.”
“In the circumstances of this case, that discretion was exercised transparently and responsibly.
“Any claim suggesting abuse of office or money laundering is not rooted in any reasonable ground for suspicion,” he said.
Malami appreciated his supporters nationwide and described the probe as a political witch-hunt.
“Together we shall continue to stand firm, and together we shall triumph against every form of political witch-hunt and intimidation,” he said.
“The allegations remain baseless, illogical, and entirely devoid of substance. I remain confident that truth, law, and reason will ultimately prevail,” he added.
