A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has granted a final forfeiture order for a Hawker private jet 125 linked to alleged fraud and money laundering involving the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project (MEPP) awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in 2021.
News Point Nigeria reports that the spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, disclosed that the final forfeiture of the aircraft, a Hawker 800XP with model number 125, serial number 258553, and registration number 5N-AMK followed an application filed by the anti-graft agency.
According to Oyewale, Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the matter, ruled that no sufficient cause had been shown by Valiente Jet Limited, a company owned by Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah, explaining why the aircraft should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
“The interested party has not demonstrated with evidence the lawful origin of the funds used to purchase the aircraft,” the EFCC statement quoted the judge as saying.
The court further held that the concealed nature of the transaction strengthened the case against the ownership claim.
Justice Nwite also ruled that the aircraft was acquired through a disguised arrangement involving a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator who reportedly denied knowledge of the true nature of the transaction.
Oyewale stated that the court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on November 13, 2025, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to show cause why the aircraft should not be permanently forfeited.
Following the publication, Valiente Limited, another company linked to Kachallah, filed affidavits to oppose the forfeiture, while the EFCC supported its final forfeiture application with an affidavit deposed to by Aminu Abdullahi, an investigator with the commission.
The EFCC said it received intelligence reports bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, and money laundering involving Kachallah in connection with the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
“Investigations showed that in 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) awarded contracts under the project valued at $114,148,155 and N23,172,969,904,” the statement said.
The commission alleged that Kachallah, who was then chairman of the Borno State Rural Electrification Board and a member of the project’s steering committee, used his office and access to NNPCL officials to engage in illicit transactions.
According to the EFCC, Kachallah also entered into unlawful agreements with China Machinery Engineering Company (CMEC) through companies in which he allegedly held substantial interests and sold privileged bidding information in exchange for financial inducements.
“The investigation further showed that CMEC was awarded three contracts under the project valued at $52,120,172 and N20,213,956,953,” Oyewale stated.
“Part of the contract funds was routed through Afuwa Integrated Services Limited, a Bureau De Change operator, under the false claim that the company was subcontracted by CMEC.
“CMEC transferred the sum of $2,070,000 (Two Million, Seventy Thousand Dollars) into the Stanbic IBTC Bank account of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited on Kachallah’s instruction.
“Investigation further revealed that forged invoices were prepared in the name of Afuwa Integrated Services Limited to falsely portray that legitimate services had been rendered to CMEC.
“The funds were thereafter transferred to a Brazilian account for the purchase of the aircraft from a Brazilian company.”
The EFCC further alleged that Kachallah fraudulently used Afuwa Integrated Services Limited to acquire the aircraft before forging documents to transfer ownership to Valiente Jet Limited, a company allegedly linked to him.
Kachallah, however, opposed the forfeiture application, insisting that the payments arose from consultancy and contract facilitation agreements between his companies and CMEC.