A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 57 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who upheld an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court held that those challenging the forfeiture failed to provide sufficient evidence to counter the commission’s claim that the assets were acquired through unlawful means.
In her judgment, Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the respondents could not dispel the “reasonable suspicion” surrounding the acquisition of the properties, paving the way for the assets to be permanently forfeited.
Before delivering the substantive judgement, the judge dismissed several applications, motions on notice and requests to show cause filed by Malami, members of his family and companies connected to the disputed properties. She described the applications as “wanting in merit".
The EFCC had approached the court in January 2026, seeking the permanent forfeiture of the 57 properties, which it valued at about N212.8 billion. The anti-graft agency alleged that the assets represented proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former justice minister.
Earlier, on January 16, during the Federal High Court’s annual vacation, Justice Emeka Nwite granted an interim forfeiture order over the properties following an ex parte application by the EFCC.
Justice Nwite also directed the anti-corruption agency to publish the interim order in a national newspaper, inviting anyone with an interest in the properties to appear before the court and explain why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The Properties Forfeited Across the country
Accordingly, the properties are located and scattered across Abuja, Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna states.
The properties include Rayhaan University buildings, agro-allied factory buildings, machines, hotels, a pharmacy, a supermarket, primary and secondary schools, oil and gas filling stations, shops and other buildings.
Some of them are the luxury duplex at Amazon Street, plot No. 3011 within cadastral zone A06 Maitama; and file No. AN enhancement 11352, which was purchased in December 2022 at N500,000,000.00 (value after enhancement at N5,950,000,000).
A two-winged large storey building is situated at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, which was purchased in Dec. 2018 at N7,000,000,000.
Plot 683, Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, comprising a five-storey building (now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi, with 53 rooms/suites), which was purchased in Sept. 2020 at carcass level at N850,000,000 with an additional N300,000,000 to take possession (value after completion N8,400,000,000).
Property No. 3130 within Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, FCT, Abuja, comprising terraces, was purchased in January 2021 at N360,000,000.
Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Limited, Maitama, with 15 ROOMS), which was purchased in February 2018 at N430,000,000 (current value after rehabilitation is N12,950,000,000).
Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (No. 11A Yakubu Gowon Crescent), Asokoro District, which was purchased in July 2021 at N325,000,000.
Shop No. C82 Citiscape — Shariff Plaza, Plot 739 Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse Il, FCT, Abuja, which was purchased in March 2024 at N120,000,000.
No. 4 Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, which was purchased in December 2022 at N300,000,000.
Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa, GRA, Kano, purchased in July 2019 with no specific amount stated.
A plaza, commercial toilets, laundering, and warehouse tanks are adjacent.
100 Hectares Of Land Along Birnin Kebbi, Jega Road, which was purchased in 2020 at N100,000,000.
Four-Bedroom Bungalow Gesse Phase, Birnin Kebbi, which was purchased in 2023 at N101,000,000.
Shops Nos A36 and B3, Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja, which were purchased in July 2023 at N158,000,000.
No. 26, Babbi Drive, Bua Estate, Abuja, purchased in 2022 at N136,000,000.
No. 27, Efab Estates Avenue, 59™ Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja, purchased in January 2016 at N120,000,000.
Four-bedroom/2-room boys' quarters at No. 10B, Doka Crescent Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, purchased in Jan. 2018 at N40, 000, 000.00.
Plot No. 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, was purchased in June 2018 at N85,000,000.
A bedroom duplex & boys' quarters at No. 12 Yalinga Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse Il, Abuja, were purchased in Oct. 2018 at N150,000,000.
Two warehouse shops, B40 and B46, Wuse Market, Abuja, were purchased in July 2020 at N50,000,000.
Twin houses at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, were purchased between February and May 2017 at N250,000,000.
Properties acquired by Khadimiyya for Justice & Development Initiative at the Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi, were sold by the Federal Housing Authority Mortgage, namely.
Others are nine units of three-bedroom bungalows and three units of two-bedroom bungalows and 5.4 hectares of land, which were purchased between February 2023 and September 2023 at N187,000,000, among other assets listed in the schedule.
The Argument
Following the publication of the interim forfeiture order, former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, his wife, Nana Hadiza Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, and several companies linked to the affected properties challenged the EFCC's application before the court.
The respondents urged the court to dismiss the anti-graft agency's request and vacate the interim forfeiture order, contending that it was improperly granted. They maintained that all the properties were legally acquired and argued that the EFCC failed to establish any link between the assets and alleged unlawful activities.
They further accused the commission of relying on speculation rather than credible evidence, insisting that it neither demonstrated that the properties were proceeds of crime nor identified any specific criminal offence from which the assets were allegedly derived.
Following the Federal High Court's return from its annual vacation, the matter was reassigned to Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who subsequently took over the hearing and determination of the case.
During the proceedings, the EFCC insisted that its investigation revealed the properties were purchased with proceeds of unlawful activities and registered in the names of individuals and companies allegedly serving as fronts for Malami.
The commission asked the court to convert the interim forfeiture order into a final one, arguing that under the law it was only required to establish "reasonable suspicion" and not prove its case "beyond reasonable doubt."
In May, both the EFCC and the respondents, including Malami and the other parties, adopted their final written addresses, after which Justice Abdulmalik reserved judgment.
Although the court initially scheduled judgement for July 6, the date was later shifted to July 10 before the ruling was eventually delivered on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.