An Abuja-based Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a luxury Hawker 800XP private jet allegedly acquired with proceeds of fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the controversial Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP).
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice Emeka Nwite, after dismissing attempts by Valiente Jet Limited and its owner, Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah, to stop the seizure of the aircraft by the Federal Government.
The jet, with registration number 5N-AMK, model number 800XP and serial number 258553, was forfeited following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which tied the aircraft to alleged illicit financial transactions surrounding contracts awarded under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) emergency power initiative in Borno State.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite held that the interested party failed to provide credible evidence proving the lawful origin of the funds used to acquire the aircraft.
“The interested party has not demonstrated with evidence the lawful origin of the funds used to purchase the aircraft,” the judge ruled.
He further observed that the aircraft was allegedly purchased through a concealed arrangement involving a Bureau De Change operator who reportedly denied knowledge of the true nature of the transaction.
The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on November 13, 2025, and directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper for interested parties to show cause why the aircraft should not be permanently forfeited.
Following the publication, Valiente Jet Limited filed affidavits challenging the forfeiture.
According to an affidavit deposed to by EFCC investigator Aminu Abdullahi, the anti-graft agency received intelligence bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering involving Kachallah.
Investigations revealed that in 2021, the NNPCL awarded contracts under the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project valued at over $114 million and ?23.1 billion.
The EFCC alleged that Kachallah, who served as Chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and also sat on the project’s steering committee, exploited his position to engage in unlawful dealings connected to the project.
The commission further alleged that Kachallah entered into secret arrangements with China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC), through companies linked to him, and supplied privileged bidding information in exchange for financial inducements.
CMEC was later awarded three contracts under the project valued at over $52 million and ?20.2 billion.
Investigators said part of the contract funds was routed through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator, under claims that the company had been subcontracted by CMEC.
The EFCC said CMEC transferred $2.07 million into the Stanbic IBTC account of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited on Kachallah’s instruction.
The commission further alleged that forged invoices were prepared to falsely suggest that legitimate services had been rendered to CMEC before the funds were transferred to Brazil for the purchase of the aircraft.
According to the EFCC, Kachallah later used fraudulent documents to transfer ownership of the aircraft to Valiente Jet Limited, a company allegedly linked to him.
During proceedings, Kachallah’s legal team maintained that payments made through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited were based on legitimate consultancy agreements entered into with CMEC.
His lawyers also argued that Kachallah should be treated separately from the companies involved in the transactions and challenged the admissibility of some documents tendered by the EFCC.
However, EFCC counsel, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Iheanacho Ekele, argued that courts are empowered to lift the veil of incorporation in cases involving fraud and illegality to identify those behind suspicious corporate dealings.
After reviewing the submissions and evidence presented by both parties, Justice Nwite granted the final forfeiture of the aircraft to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
