KEY POINTS
- A Federal High Court ordered the final forfeiture of a Hawker 800XP private jet linked to alleged NNPCL contract fraud.
- EFCC said the aircraft was acquired through suspicious transactions tied to diverted project funds and forged documentation.
- The court ruled the defendant failed to prove lawful ownership, granting permanent seizure of the jet to the Federal Government.
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of a Hawker 800XP private jet linked to allegations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering connected to the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Monday following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), directing that the jet be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The aircraft, identified as a Hawker 800XP with serial number 258553 and registration number 5N-AMK, was traced to Valiente Jet Limited, a company linked to businessman Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah.
According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that the jet was acquired using proceeds suspected to be linked to illicit dealings in contracts awarded under the NNPCL-backed emergency power project in Maiduguri.
Delivering judgment, Justice Nwite held that the company failed to provide credible evidence showing the lawful origin of funds used to purchase the jet.
The court also noted that the transaction was carried out in a disguised manner through a Bureau De Change operator, who later denied any knowledge of the deal, further raising doubts about its legitimacy.
The judge ruled that the circumstances surrounding the purchase strongly supported the EFCC’s claim that the acquisition was unlawful.
An earlier interim forfeiture order had been issued on November 13, 2025, directing publication of the order to allow any interested party to contest it. However, following the process, Valiente Limited filed affidavits opposing the final forfeiture, which the court ultimately rejected.
EFCC Allegations and Investigation
EFCC investigator Aminu Abdullahi told the court that the agency received intelligence on alleged conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, and money laundering involving Kachallah and linked companies.
Investigations revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) awarded contracts under the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project in 2021 worth over $114 million and N23.1 billion.
The EFCC alleged that Kachallah, who served as chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and a member of the project steering committee, exploited his position to influence contract awards.
He was also accused of using companies in which he had interests to enter into agreements with China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC) and allegedly providing insider bidding information in exchange for financial benefits.
According to the EFCC, CMEC secured contracts worth $52.1 million and over N20.2 billion, part of which was allegedly routed through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator.
The commission further alleged that $2.07 million was transferred into the company’s bank account and later used, through a chain of transactions and alleged forged invoices, to facilitate the purchase of the aircraft from a Brazilian firm.
The EFCC also claimed that ownership of the jet was later fraudulently transferred to Valiente Jet Limited.
Kachallah, through his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria M.E. Oru, denied wrongdoing, arguing that the payments were based on a legitimate consultancy arrangement tied to the project.
The defence also challenged the admissibility of some of the documents presented by the EFCC and maintained that the companies involved were separate legal entities from the defendant.
However, EFCC counsel Iheanacho Ekele (SAN) argued that in cases involving alleged fraud, the court is empowered to lift the corporate veil to identify the individuals behind corporate structures.
