Nigerian police operatives have taken over Azbir Hotel and Azbir Arena, properties linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
It was observed that police patrol vans were stationed at the Azbir Hotel and Azbir Arena, with officers maintaining a security presence after taking control of the premises.
On Sunday, Imran Muhammad, a loyalist of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), shared a video clip on X showing five police patrol vans and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) positioned in front of the properties, suggesting an ongoing police operation.
The development comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following petitions submitted against Malami over alleged financial improprieties.
Multiple petitions submitted to the EFCC accused Malami of involvement in an alleged $16.9 million legal fees scam linked to the recovery of the Sani Abacha loot, as well as money laundering, abuse of office and accumulation of assets said to be far beyond his legitimate earnings.
Court documents and petitions seen by the media show that the allegations form the basis of an application filed by the EFCC before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking an order to remand Malami and one of his associates, Temitope Isaac Adebayo, in EFCC custody for 14 days pending further investigation.
In a motion ex parte and an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, the anti-graft agency disclosed that it received several petitions against Malami from different organisations, including the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Karlos Community Development and Empowerment Initiative, and Grassroot Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance (GAPAG).
In documents filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the commission said its investigation had reached an advanced stage and had identified “a prima facie case of criminal conspiracy, corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering against the respondents.”
According to the court filings, the EFCC explained that the petitions alleged Malami authorised the payment of $16.9 million in legal fees linked to the recovery of funds traced to Abacha.
The petitions allege that the services for which the fees were paid had already been completed by foreign legal counsel previously engaged and fully paid by the Federal Government, making the fresh payments unnecessary and fraudulent.
The EFCC further alleged that Malami used his position as Attorney-General to confer undue advantage on his associate, the second respondent, in transactions now under investigation.
Beyond the alleged $16.9 million payment, the petitions also raised questions about what they described as Malami’s “unexplained wealth” and ownership of high-value assets allegedly disproportionate to his known earnings before and during his time in public office.
Among the properties listed in the petitions are Azbir Hotel and Azbir Arena, an expansive entertainment and hospitality complex in Birnin Kebbi said to be worth several billions of naira; Rayhan Rice Mill, Rayhan Private Academy (Nursery, Primary and Secondary School), and Rayhan University, all located in Kebbi State; as well as multiple residential and commercial properties in Abuja, Kano and Kebbi, some valued in hundreds of millions of naira.
Petitioners alleged that prior to his appointment as Attorney-General in 2015, Malami could not have legitimately afforded such assets, insisting that their scale and value far exceed his lawful income as a public servant and legal practitioner.
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