A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of a private jet allegedly linked to fraud surrounding the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP), in a case involving assets valued at over $114.1 million and N23.1 billion.
The development was disclosed in a statement published on the official page of the Nigeria National Grid.
According to the statement, investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah allegedly leaked confidential bidding information to China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC) in exchange for financial kickbacks tied to the power project.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that CMEC transferred about $2.07 million through Afuwa Integrated Services, a Bureau De Change operator, using what investigators described as forged invoices to facilitate the acquisition of the aircraft for Valiente Jet Limited.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite reportedly described the transaction as a concealed arrangement connected to fraudulent activities surrounding the project.
“Justice Nwite condemned the disguised transaction, forfeiting the asset to the Federal Government. The court ordered the permanent forfeiture of the aircraft to the FG,” the statement read.
The forfeiture marks another major development in the EFCC’s ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and financial misconduct linked to the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
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