Federal High Court orders final forfeiture of assets linked to former justice minister, dismissing claims of lawful acquisition
In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties belonging to former Attorney General Abubakar Malami to the Federal Government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the EFCC established “reasonable suspicion” that the assets valued at N212.8 billion were acquired through unlawful proceeds. The judge dismissed Malami’s objections, stating: “The issue is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire it.”
The forfeited properties span Abuja, Kano, Kebbi, and Kaduna states, with Malami, his wife Nana Hadiza, son Abdulaziz, and several companies failing to dislodge the commission’s allegations.
While some properties were discharged from the interim order, the court ruled that respondents “did not dislodge the reasonable suspicion” of illegality, citing Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
The ruling caps a months-long legal battle that began in January when a vacation judge granted an interim forfeiture order. Malami’s legal team had argued that the EFCC relied on “speculation rather than credible evidence” a position the court ultimately rejected.
