Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has responded to allegations of money laundering and abuse of office made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to Malami, the allegations are “baseless, illogical, and wholly devoid of substance.” The allegations center on the recovery of $310 million, later $322.5 million with interest, from the Abacha loot.

Malami’s media aide, Mohammed Doka, issued a statement on Sunday detailing the former attorney general’s visit to the anti-graft agencies. During the visit, the EFCC informed Malami that their inquiry related to an alleged duplication in the recovery process of the Abacha loot. The EFCC claimed that Malami duplicated a recovery process allegedly completed by a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, before he assumed office in 2015.

However, Malami countered that no such recovery had been completed before he took office. He noted that recovered funds could only be considered complete upon lodgement into the Federation Account, and as of 2016, there was no lodgement of any such funds. Furthermore, Monfrini himself applied in December 2016 to be re-engaged for the same recovery, which Malami argued was proof that the claim of prior completion was illogical.

Malami also revealed that the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari rejected Monfrini’s terms, which included a $5 million upfront deposit and a success fee of 40 percent later reduced to 20 percent. Instead, a Nigerian law firm was hired on a 5 percent success-fee arrangement, saving the country between 15 and 35 percent of the recovered funds.

The former attorney general clarified that he oversaw multiple, distinct tranches of Abacha loot, including $322.5 million from Switzerland and about $321 million from Jersey. He stressed that any attempt to conflate these distinct recoveries or portray a lawful, cost-saving recovery process as duplication was misleading. Malami maintained that his actions were exercised “strictly in the public interest” and that any claim suggesting abuse of office or money laundering was not rooted in reasonable grounds for suspicion.

The allegations against Malami are part of a broader effort by the EFCC to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and financial crimes in Nigeria. The outcome of the investigation and any potential legal proceedings will be closely watched, as they may have significant implications for the country’s anti-corruption efforts and the rule of law. With the allegations against him, Malami remains confident that the truth and law will ultimately prevail.