The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a Hawker private jet allegedly connected to fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the ruling on Monday at the Maitama division of the court, directed that the aircraft — a Hawker 125, model 800XP with serial number 258553 and registration number 5N-AMK — be forfeited to the Federal Government following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The anti-graft agency, through a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the court found that Valiente Jet Limited, a company associated with Abdulsalam Kachallah, failed to establish the legitimate source of the money used in acquiring the aircraft.
According to the court, the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the jet, including the alleged use of a Bureau De Change operator who reportedly denied involvement in the transaction, strengthened the allegation that the acquisition process was unlawful.
“The interested party has not demonstrated with evidence the lawful origin of the funds used to purchase the aircraft. The disguised manner through which the aircraft was acquired using the name of a Bureau De Change operator who denied knowledge of the nature of the transaction further lent credence to the unlawfulness of the entire transaction,” the judge was quoted as saying.
The court had earlier, on November 13, 2025, granted an interim forfeiture order and directed the EFCC to publish the notice in a national newspaper to allow interested parties show cause why the aircraft should not be permanently seized.
Following the publication, Valiente Limited, owned by Kachallah, filed processes challenging the forfeiture request.
In an affidavit filed in support of the application, EFCC investigator Aminu Abdullahi disclosed that the commission received intelligence reports alleging conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering involving Kachallah.
The EFCC stated that investigations showed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited awarded contracts under the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project in 2021 valued at about $114.1 million and more than ₦23.1 billion.
According to the commission, Kachallah, who served as Chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and also sat on the project’s steering committee, allegedly exploited his position for unlawful financial dealings tied to the project.
The agency further alleged that he entered into illegal arrangements with China Machinery Engineering Company through firms linked to him and supplied confidential bidding information in return for financial benefits.
Investigators said the Chinese firm later secured three contracts under the project worth about $52.1 million and over ₦20.2 billion.
The EFCC alleged that part of the contract funds was channelled through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator, under the claim that the company had been subcontracted by CMEC.
According to the commission, CMEC, acting on Kachallah’s instruction, transferred $2.07 million into the Stanbic IBTC Bank account of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, after which forged invoices were allegedly created to make the transactions appear legitimate.
The agency told the court that the money was later moved to a Brazilian account and used to purchase the aircraft from a company in Brazil.
The EFCC also accused Kachallah of using Afuwa Integrated Services Limited to facilitate the acquisition before allegedly forging ownership documents to transfer the jet to Valiente Jet Limited.
However, Kachallah, through his lawyer, M.E. Oru (SAN), opposed the forfeiture request, insisting that payments made through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited arose from a consultancy agreement with CMEC connected to the power project.
The defence further argued that Kachallah was legally separate from the companies involved in the transactions and also questioned the admissibility of certain documents presented by the EFCC.
Responding, counsel to the EFCC, Iheanacho Ekele (SAN), argued that courts are empowered to lift the corporate veil in cases involving allegations of fraud and illegality in order to identify the individuals behind corporate entities.