The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 choice properties linked to the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN). The permanent seizure represents a massive victory for Nigeria's anti-graft agency in its asset recovery campaign targeting former high-ranking public officials.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the properties, which were allegedly acquired with proceeds of crime, must be permanently surrendered to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The decision followed a civil forfeiture application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several objections and motions filed by Malami, his family, and associated companies, ruling that they failed to prove the properties were purchased with legitimately obtained funds. The judge emphasised that the legal dispute was not focused on ownership titles, but on the financial origin of the acquisitions.
She further held that the respondents "had not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities". Justice Abdulmalik relied principally on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, which empowers Nigerian courts to forfeit assets linked to illicit wealth.
The EFCC had initially targeted 57 assets valued at approximately ₦212.8 billion under an interim forfeiture order secured in January. However, the court spared nine of the properties located in Kebbi and Kaduna states after finding credible evidence of genuine ownership and a lack of illicit links.
Malami, who served as Nigeria's chief law officer from November 2015 to May 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari, has consistently maintained his innocence. Through his legal counsel, Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), Malami previously urged the court to set aside the interim seizure, arguing in a 109-paragraph affidavit that his assets "were not acquired from proceeds of crime".
This civil forfeiture does not amount to a criminal conviction against Malami or his relatives. However, the ruling deals a severe blow to the former minister as he, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, concurrently face a separate 16-count criminal trial charging them with conspiracy and laundering ₦8.7 billion.
Under the permanent forfeiture order, the 48 seized properties—which include luxury real estate, commercial plazas, and a university—will now officially vest in the Federal Government for management or liquidation.