A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary forfeiture of 57 properties connected to former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and two of his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru-Rahman Malami. The order was issued following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The seized properties, valued at about N213.2 billion, are located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states. They include university buildings, hotels, schools, filling stations, warehouses, residential buildings, plazas, shops, factories, and large plots of land. The assets are suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities.
Justice Emeka Nwite directed that the properties be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government while giving the EFCC 14 days to publish the order in a national newspaper. This allows any interested party to challenge the forfeiture before a permanent decision is made. The court has scheduled a report on compliance for January 27, 2026.
The properties include luxury duplexes in Maitama, large hotels in Abuja, residential and commercial plots in Asokoro, Wuse, and Nasarawa GRA, and extensive lands in Birnin Kebbi. Many of the assets were purchased between 2016 and 2023, some for hundreds of millions of naira and others for several billion naira after enhancements and development.
Malami, his wife Bashir Asabe, and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz are currently facing trial before the same court over an alleged N8.7 billion money laundering case. The interim forfeiture adds to the ongoing legal proceedings against the former minister and his family.
This decision by the court comes as part of broader efforts by the EFCC to recover assets suspected to be linked to unlawful activities, ensuring they are held under government supervision while investigations continue.
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