A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented sufficient evidence to establish a reasonable suspicion that the assets were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court held that Malami, his family members, and companies associated with the properties failed to provide convincing evidence to counter the EFCC's claims.
Justice Abdulmalik emphasized that the central issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were obtained legally.
"The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property," the judge stated.
The court dismissed several applications filed by the respondents, describing them as lacking merit, and granted the EFCC's request for the final forfeiture of the assets under the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
However, the court lifted the interim forfeiture order on some of the properties that were not covered by the final ruling.
The EFCC had earlier sought the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties worth about ₦212.8 billion, alleging they were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former minister. The affected properties are located in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi, and Kaduna states.
Malami, his wife Nana Hadiza Malami, his son Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, and several companies had challenged the interim forfeiture, insisting the properties were lawfully acquired and arguing that the EFCC failed to establish any direct connection between the assets and criminal activities.
Following hearings and the adoption of final written addresses in May, the court reserved judgment before delivering its final decision on Wednesday, ordering the forfeiture of 48 of the properties to the Federal Government.
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