Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of 57 Properties Linked To Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to the Federal Government.

The order was issued by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex-parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the assets, valued at billions of naira, include luxury residential and commercial properties across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states. The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the order was obtained on Wednesday, a day after the ruling.

In his judgment, Justice Nwite declared: “It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule One below, which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”

The judge directed that the order be published in a national newspaper to allow any interested party 14 days to contest the forfeiture before a final order is issued. The matter was adjourned to January 27 for a compliance report.

The properties include high-value assets such as:

• Luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, currently valued at nearly N6 billion.
• Two-winged large storey building at Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels), purchased for N7 billion.
• Five-storey Meethaq Hotel in Jabi District, Abuja, valued at N8.4 billion after completion.
• Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Maitama, with 15 rooms, valued at N12.95 billion after rehabilitation.
• Various commercial shops, warehouses, bungalows, and plots of land in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi acquired between 2016 and 2024, with individual values ranging from N40 million to over N12 billion.
• Residential estates and multiple housing units in Birnin Kebbi, Abuja, and Kaduna, purchased between 2018 and 2023.

Justice Nwite emphasized that the properties are “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities” and placed them under interim forfeiture while investigations continue.

The ruling represents a significant move by the EFCC to recover assets suspected to have been obtained through illegal means.