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 (SAN), to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had established the legal threshold of reasonable suspicion that the assets were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities. The court held that Malami, members of his family and companies connected to the properties failed to provide sufficient evidence showing that the assets were purchased with legitimate sources of income.
Before issuing the final order, the judge dismissed several motions and applications filed by the respondents seeking to stop the forfeiture proceedings, describing them as lacking merit. Justice Abdulmalik stressed that the key issue before the court was not ownership of the properties, but whether the funds used to acquire them were lawfully obtained.
The forfeited assets include a luxury duplex in Abuja, a university campus, an agro-allied factory and several other properties across northern Nigeria. The ruling follows an earlier interim forfeiture order, after which interested parties were given 14 days to show why the assets should not be permanently forfeited. With no successful challenge to the EFCC’s case, the court made the forfeiture order final.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023, is also facing separate money laundering and conspiracy charges filed by the EFCC. He has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
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