The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a ruling requiring the permanent seizure of 48 properties associated with Abubakar Malami, the country’s former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. Presiding Judge Justice Joyce Abdulmalik determined that these assets, which are believed to have been acquired through illicit means, must be turned over to the federal government. Malami, who held office under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, faced accusations that he could not adequately explain the legal origins of the funds used to purchase these properties.
While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initially sought the seizure of 57 properties, the court concluded that evidence existed to support the rightful ownership of nine of those locations, exempting them from the forfeiture order. The court explicitly noted that the primary legal focus was on the legitimacy of the acquisition funds rather than the identity of the titleholders. This decision follows an earlier interim forfeiture order concerning assets estimated at over N212 billion across Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Malami is currently embroiled in a separate 16-count money laundering trial alongside his son and one of his wives, with prosecutors alleging the misuse of approximately N9 billion in public funds. During the proceedings, Malami’s defense team argued that the assets were lawfully obtained, declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau, and that the EFCC had misrepresented the facts. However, the court ultimately upheld the government’s application, reinforcing its authority under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act to reclaim assets suspected to be the product of unlawful activity.
