A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of a Hawker 800XP private jet linked to alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering in the controversial Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP), following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ruling, delivered on Monday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, directed that the aircraft—registered as 5N-AMK and bearing serial number 258553—be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government after dismissing claims by an interested company.
The aircraft had been traced by investigators to a complex financial trail allegedly involving contract manipulation within the project framework supervised under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited).
Justice Nwite held that the applicant, Valiente Jet Limited, a company linked to Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah, failed to provide credible evidence showing lawful acquisition of the aircraft or legitimate source of funds used in its purchase.
According to the court, the concealment of ownership and use of a Bureau De Change operator—who later denied involvement—further strengthened the inference of illegality surrounding the transaction.
“The interested party has not demonstrated with evidence the lawful origin of the funds used to purchase the aircraft,” Justice Nwite ruled.
The court noted that the jet was allegedly acquired through proceeds traced to funds connected to the MEPP contracts, valued at over $114 million and ₦23.17 billion, awarded under the emergency power initiative.
The EFCC told the court that Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah, who served as Chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and a member of the project’s steering committee, allegedly exploited his position to manipulate contract processes.
Investigators further linked him to dealings involving China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC), which was awarded multimillion-dollar contracts under the project after allegedly receiving insider bidding information.
Part of the contract proceeds was reportedly routed through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator, and later transferred into an account with Stanbic IBTC Bank before being moved offshore for the purchase of the aircraft in Brazil.
The EFCC alleged that forged invoices were created to disguise illicit transfers as legitimate consultancy and subcontracting services, while ownership of the aircraft was later moved to Valiente Jet Limited, a company allegedly linked to Kachallah.
The anti-graft agency maintained that the entire structure was designed to conceal proceeds of unlawful enrichment derived from the MEPP contracts, a position it anchored on provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the ICPC Act.
In earlier proceedings on November 13, 2025, the court had granted an interim forfeiture order, directing public notice to allow any interested party to contest the seizure.
Following the publication, Valiente Jet Limited filed objections, insisting the transactions were based on consultancy agreements with CMEC. However, the court rejected the explanation as unsubstantiated.
EFCC counsel, Iheanacho Ekele, SAN, and O.S. Ujam, argued that the transactions reflected a deliberate scheme to disguise illicit proceeds and urged the court to pierce the corporate veil of the entities involved.
Delivering judgment, Justice Nwite agreed with the Commission, holding that courts are empowered to lift corporate protections where they are used to shield fraud and conceal beneficial ownership.
He consequently granted final forfeiture of the aircraft to the Federal Government, marking a major victory for the anti-graft agency.
Reacting to the ruling, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said the judgment reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to tracing and recovering proceeds of corruption linked to public projects.
He added that the Commission would intensify investigations into financial crimes connected to large-scale infrastructure contracts, including those under the MEPP scheme.
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