The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the final forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.
In a motion on notice filed before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the anti-graft agency argued that the respondents failed to provide sufficient grounds to set aside an earlier interim forfeiture order.
The application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, lists Malami, Hajia Bashir Asabe and Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami among the respondents, alongside several companies allegedly linked to the assets.
Arguing the motion, EFCC counsel Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), leading Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), said the proceedings were based on non-conviction forfeiture and that the court is empowered by law to grant the relief sought.
He noted that the court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order, which was subsequently published in a national newspaper, THISDAY, on January 9, 2026.
“No sufficient cause has been shown why the properties under the interim forfeiture order should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government,” Okutepa submitted.
The EFCC brought the application under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, seeking a final order forfeiting the assets, which it described as reasonably suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
In a supporting affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, Daniel Adebayo, the commission said it received multiple petitions alleging corruption, abuse of office, and fraud against the former minister.
According to the affidavit, investigations included the review of financial records from banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as inquiries with agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Code of Conduct Bureau, and the Abuja Geographical Information System.
The commission also conducted checks with land registries in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Kano states, while the properties were physically verified and valued. Individuals linked to the transactions were invited and interviewed.
Adebayo stated that Malami’s earnings in office between 2015 and 2023 including salaries, allowances, and estacodes were not commensurate with the value of the assets under investigation.
He disclosed that Malami earned a total of N89.66 million in salary during the period, received a severance package of N12.15 million, and declared N253.6 million as estacode allowances for official foreign trips.
The investigator further alleged that many of the properties were acquired through proxies and corporate entities linked to the former minister.
He added that, beyond the disproportionate value of the assets, several structures particularly in Kano and Kebbi states were allegedly developed without the necessary building approvals, in what the EFCC described as an attempt to conceal the origin of the funds.
The commission identified 57 properties located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, including assets linked to Rayhaan University in Kebbi.
Justice Abdulmalik has fixed April 21, 2026, for the hearing of the motion.
The case follows an earlier interim forfeiture order granted on January 8, 2026, by Justice Emeka Nwite, after an ex parte application by the EFCC.
The court had ordered the temporary forfeiture of the properties, valued at about N213.2 billion and directed the commission to publish the order to allow interested parties to show cause within 14 days why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
Following that order, Malami and other respondents challenged the forfeiture proceedings, urging the court to set aside the interim order.
