A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government, ruling that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Wednesday, holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had successfully established that the properties were not acquired through lawful sources of income.
The EFCC, in a statement shared on its verified Facebook page, said the court granted its application for final forfeiture after finding merit in the Commission’s arguments.
According to the anti-graft agency, the court ruled that it “had successfully established that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were not acquired with lawful sources of income.”
The decision followed months of legal proceedings involving Malami, members of his family and several companies that challenged an earlier interim forfeiture order obtained by the EFCC.
Justice Abdulmalik dismissed the objections raised by the claimants, stating that they failed to overturn the reasonable suspicion surrounding the acquisition of the assets.
The judge noted that the central issue before the court was not ownership of the properties but “how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties.” She further held that the respondents “had not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities.”
However, the court refused to grant a final forfeiture order on some of the assets initially listed by the EFCC and consequently lifted the interim forfeiture order on those properties. While the Commission had applied for the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties, the court’s judgment covered 48 assets.
The EFCC had commenced the civil forfeiture proceedings in January 2026, alleging that the 57 properties, spread across Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Kebbi states and valued at about ₦212.8 billion, were proceeds of unlawful activities allegedly linked to Malami.
An interim forfeiture order was earlier granted by Justice Emeka Nwite, who directed the EFCC to publish the order and allow interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Following the publication, Malami, his wife, son and several companies filed objections, maintaining that the properties were legally acquired and arguing that the EFCC’s allegations were based on speculation rather than credible evidence.
The matter was later transferred to Justice Abdulmalik after the court’s annual vacation.
During the proceedings, the EFCC argued that the properties were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities and registered in the names of individuals and companies allegedly acting as fronts. The Commission maintained that under Nigeria’s civil forfeiture laws, it was only required to establish reasonable suspicion and not prove criminal guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judgment comes as Malami, his wife and son continue to face separate money laundering charges filed by the EFCC, allegations they have repeatedly denied. The former Attorney-General has consistently maintained that all the disputed assets were legitimately acquired.
