Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja — Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he legitimately earned more than ₦12 billion from salaries, private businesses, gifts from friends, and other sources, as he seeks to set aside an interim order authorising the seizure of 57 properties linked to him.
Malami made the disclosure through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), in a motion on notice filed before the court. The application urges the court to vacate an interim forfeiture order issued against three of the 57 properties earlier seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for forfeiture to the Federal Government.
According to the motion, Malami stated that he had fully and transparently declared his sources of income in his asset declaration submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). His counsel argued that the former minister’s assets were acquired from lawful earnings accumulated over several years and not from proceeds of crime.
The breakdown of Malami’s declared income shows that he earned ₦374,630,900 from salaries, estacodes, severance allowances, and other official emoluments during his years in public service. He also declared ₦574,073,000 as income realised from the disposal of assets.
In addition, Malami disclosed a business turnover amounting to ₦10,017,382,684 generated from private business interests. He further stated that he advanced loans worth ₦2,522,000,000 to businesses, which were duly documented as part of his financial dealings.
The former Attorney-General also declared receiving ₦958,000,000 as traditional gifts from personal friends, a claim his legal team said was in line with cultural practices and properly disclosed to relevant authorities. Another ₦509,880,000 was reportedly earned from the launch and public presentation of his book titled “Contemporary Issues on Nigerian Law and Practice, Thorny Terrains in Traversing the Nigerian Justice Sector: My Travails and Triumphs.”
Malami’s legal team contended that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case linking the properties to unlawful activities, arguing that the interim forfeiture order was obtained without giving him adequate opportunity to be heard. They urged the court to discharge the order in the interest of justice.
The EFCC had earlier secured the interim forfeiture of the properties as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and illicit enrichment linked to the former justice minister. The commission maintains that the assets are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, a claim Malami has consistently denied.
The court is expected to hear arguments from both parties before deciding whether to uphold or vacate the interim forfeiture order, as the legal battle over the seized properties continues.
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