Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 48 Properties Linked to Former AGF Abubakar Malami

Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 48 Properties Linked to Former AGF Abubakar Malami

The 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 after ruling that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established sufficient grounds to show the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who delivered the judgment, held that Malami, members of his family, and companies associated with the properties failed to successfully challenge the EFCC's allegations regarding the source of funds used to acquire the assets. The court stressed that the central issue was not ownership of the properties but whether they were purchased with legitimately earned income.

The ruling followed an interim forfeiture order issued on July 1, which gave interested parties 14 days to show why the properties should not be permanently forfeited. After the deadline expired and the court considered the responses filed, Justice Abdulmalik granted the EFCC's application for final forfeiture.

Among the assets covered by the order are a luxury duplex in Abuja, a university campus, an agro-allied factory, hotels, commercial buildings, and other properties located across northern Nigeria. The court found that the anti-graft agency had met the legal threshold required under Nigeria's civil forfeiture laws.

The forfeiture order is separate from the ongoing criminal proceedings against Malami. The former justice minister is currently facing 16 counts of alleged money laundering and conspiracy brought by the EFCC. He has pleaded not guilty, and those criminal charges remain before the court.

The judgment marks one of the EFCC's most significant asset recovery victories in recent months and underscores the agency's continued efforts to pursue the recovery of assets it believes are proceeds of unlawful activities.

Do you think Nigeria's anti-corruption agencies are becoming more effective at recovering allegedly illicit assets, or should there be broader reforms to strengthen the fight against corruption?