Former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) has fired back at investigators after facing hours of EFCC questioning over alleged abuse of office and duplication of the Abacha loot recovery process.
In a detailed statement, Malami described the Malami EFCC Abacha loot allegations as “baseless, illogical and wholly devoid of substance.”
According to him, the EFCC’s theory that a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, had completed the recovery before 2015 “collapses immediately under factual and elementary logic.”
Malami EFCC Abacha Loot Allegations ‘Collapse Under Facts’, Says Ex-AGF
Malami insisted that as of 2016, no such funds had been lodged into Nigeria’s Federation Account—meaning there was no “completed recovery” to duplicate.
He added a crucial detail:
Monfrini himself applied again in December 2016 to be engaged for the recovery, thereby contradicting the claim that he had already completed the process years earlier.
“It is entirely illogical for a lawyer to apply to be engaged to recover funds he supposedly recovered two years earlier,”
Malami argued.
Legal Facts × Political Undertones × Recovery Figures
Malami said the Buhari administration rejected Monfrini’s financial demands, which included:
- $5 million upfront payment, and
- 40% success fee (later reduced to 20%).
Instead, a Nigerian law firm was engaged for an all-inclusive 5% fee, saving the country between ₦76.8 billion and ₦179.2 billion when measured at an average exchange rate of ₦1,600 to the dollar.
He also highlighted multiple recovery streams under his tenure:
- $322.5m from Switzerland (2017–2018) — used for conditional cash transfers;
- $321m from Jersey (2020) — tied to Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kano Road and Second Niger Bridge.
Political Undercurrent: Witch-Hunt or Accountability?
Malami labelled the investigation a politically motivated witch-hunt, but pledged full cooperation.
“Truth, law and reason will ultimately prevail,”
he said.
The EFCC has not yet issued an official response, even though Malami has given multiple statements updating the public.
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