The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized the international passport of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, as part of investigations into the whereabouts of an alleged $490 million Abacha loot recovered through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) process.

A credible EFCC source said on Sunday that Mr. Malami had been barred from travelling out of the country for one month.

According to the source, one of the conditions for Mr. Malami’s release on Saturday was that he must report daily to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for further questioning.

“The former minister may not travel out of the country except with mutual agreement with the EFCC or a High Court order,” the source said.

The source added that a fact sheet had been prepared outlining several issues the former minister must address in the coming weeks.

“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT. We did not say he stole any money, but he must account for the funds. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators,” the source said.

The commission explained that the volume of documents to be reviewed and the need for extensive interviews necessitated the seizure of his passport.

The EFCC, according to the source, would not engage in a “war of words” with the former minister but would publish its findings after a thorough investigation.

In a post on X, Mr. Malami described the allegations as “fabricated,” thanked Allah for divine intervention, and confirmed that his engagement with the EFCC was “successful” and that he had been released pending further meetings. He did not comment on the passport seizure but insisted that “the truth about the fabricated claims will unfold.”