Court forfeits university, 47 other properties linked to ex-AGF Malami to FG

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties, including a university, allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.

But the trial judge, Justice Abdulmalik declined the EFCC’s request to permanently forfeit nine other properties, setting aside the interim forfeiture order earlier granted in respect of those assets.

Delivering judgment in the case, Justice Abdulmalik held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had established that the 48 properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

The judge held that Malami failed to demonstrate that the assets were acquired through legitimate sources of income.

Justice Abdulmalik also dismissed several motions and applications filed by Malami, members of his family and companies linked to the properties, describing them as lacking in merit.

She ruled that the central issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were lawfully obtained.

According to the judge, the respondents failed to dislodge the reasonable suspicion that the properties were acquired through unlawful activities.

The court relied principally on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act in granting the final forfeiture order.

However, Justice Abdulmalik declined the EFCC’s request to permanently forfeit nine other properties.

He judge specifically set aside the interim forfeiture order earlier granted in respect of the assets.

She held that the anti-graft agency failed to establish that the nine properties, located in Kebbi and Kaduna states, were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Bar & Bench Watch reports that the EFCC had approached the court seeking the final forfeiture of 57 properties valued at about ₦212.8 billion and allegedly linked to the former Attorney-General.

Justice Emeka Nwite had, on January 16, 2026, granted an interim forfeiture order after an ex parte application moved by EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.

Following the publication of the interim forfeiture order, Malami, his wife, Nana Hadiza Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, and several companies linked to the assets challenged the order.

They argued that the properties were lawfully acquired, maintained that the EFCC failed to establish any link between the assets and unlawful activities, and urged the court to set aside the interim forfeiture order.

After considering the arguments of both parties, Justice Abdulmalik ordered the final forfeiture of 48 of the 57 properties while discharging the interim forfeiture order in respect of the remaining nine properties.