Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment on the final forfeiture of 57 properties linked to former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who presided over the matter on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, fixed July 6, 2026, for the ruling. The court had on January 6, 2026, granted an interim forfeiture order of the properties following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which alleged that the properties were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was slated for the hearing of the final forfeiture of the properties and other pending applications. However, defence counsel, Adedayo Adedeji, SAN, drew the court’s attention to 16 motions on notice filed by Malami seeking to set aside the interim forfeiture order. The EFCC opposed the motions with counter‑affidavits, urging the court to discountenance the defendant’s request. Some of the defendant’s applications sought an extension of time to show cause why the properties listed in the schedule should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
Arguing the applications, Adedeji submitted that his client had filed an application dated April 21, 2026, for extension of time, along with a counter‑affidavit opposing the EFCC’s motion for final forfeiture. The counter‑affidavit was deposed to by Abubakar Malami himself, who urged the court to refuse and dismiss the order of final forfeiture, insisting that the properties were not proceeds of any crime but were acquired through legitimate means. “The allegation that they are proceeds of crime is based merely on suspicion,” Adedeji argued.
In response, Okutepa told the court that the EFCC had filed a 77‑paragraph affidavit deposed to by Adebayo Daniels, an EFCC operative, on May 5, 2026. The affidavit was accompanied by eight exhibits and a written address, in addition to a reply on points of law. “We rely on all these processes in urging my lord to hold that their application has woefully failed to show cause,” Okutepa said. He prayed the court to grant the EFCC’s request as prayed and to forfeit the properties to the Federal Government. He also asked the court to discountenance the requests of other respondents who had opposed the forfeiture applications.
Justice Abdulmalik, after listening to the submissions of both counsel, adjourned the matter to July 6, 2026, for judgment. The properties in question are located in high‑value areas across the Federal Capital Territory and other states. The EFCC had, in its interim forfeiture application, alleged that the properties were acquired through money laundering and abuse of office during Malami’s tenure as Attorney‑General of the Federation between 2015 and 2023. The commission claimed that the properties were purchased through proxy companies and individuals, and that Malami could not provide satisfactory explanation for the source of the funds used to acquire them.
The interim forfeiture order was granted on January 6, 2026, after the EFCC presented evidence that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity. The order temporarily transferred ownership of the properties to the Federal Government pending the final determination of the case. Malami has consistently denied any wrongdoing, describing the EFCC’s action as politically motivated and a continuation of a persecution campaign against him. He has also argued that the properties were acquired long before he became AGF, and that the EFCC failed to establish any direct link between the properties and any alleged illicit transaction.
The case has drawn significant public attention, given Malami’s former position as the country’s chief law officer and his role in the anti‑corruption efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Critics have pointed to the irony of a former AGF being investigated for corruption, while supporters of Malami have accused the EFCC of selective justice and media trial. The commission, however, has maintained that its investigation is based on evidence and is not targeted at any individual.
The final forfeiture hearing is now concluded, and the court’s judgment, expected on July 6, 2026, will determine whether the 57 properties will be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government or returned to Malami. If the court rules in favour of the EFCC, the properties will become part of the government’s asset recovery portfolio, and may be sold or used for public purposes. If the court dismisses the EFCC’s application, the interim forfeiture order will be vacated, and the properties will revert to Malami.
As the legal battle continues, the case has become a litmus test for the EFCC’s ability to pursue high‑profile corruption cases involving former public officials. The outcome of the judgment is likely to have far‑reaching implications for the commission’s asset recovery efforts and for the political fortunes of Malami, who has recently emerged as a governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi State. The court has reserved its ruling, and all parties are now awaiting the July 6 decision.
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