A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government after ruling that they were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Wednesday, holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established the legal threshold required under Nigeria’s civil forfeiture law. The judge ruled that Malami failed to demonstrate that the properties were acquired through legitimate sources of income.
Before delivering the judgment, the court dismissed several applications and motions filed by Malami, members of his family and companies linked to the assets, describing them as lacking merit. Justice Abdulmalik held that the central issue before the court was not ownership of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were legitimate.
The forfeited assets include a luxury duplex in Abuja, a university campus, an agro-allied factory and several other properties in northern Nigeria. The ruling followed an interim forfeiture order issued on July 1, which gave interested parties 14 days to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited. No sufficient evidence was presented to overturn the order before the deadline expired.
Malami, who served as Attorney-General between 2015 and 2023, is currently facing a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering and conspiracy involving billions of naira before a separate court. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
