Abubakar Malami, an Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice during the late Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, was ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja to interim forfeit 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following an ex-parte motion moved by the lawyer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ekele Iheanacho, to that effect. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the multi-billion naira landed properties are located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States. Although the order was made on Tuesday, its certified true copy (CTC) was sighted by NAN on Wednesday.
“It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below, which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities,” the judge said.
Nwite, in the ruling, also directed the publication of the interim order of forfeiture in any national daily.
The ruling is “inviting any person(s) or body(ies) who may have interest in the properties listed in the schedule to show cause, within 14 days of the publication, why a final order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of the said assets and properties should not be made.”
The judge then adjourned the matter until Jan. 27 for a report of compliance.
The assets, according to the ruling, include the following:
**Luxury Duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 Within Cadastral Zone, A06 Maitama; 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-story building situated at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, which was purchased in December 2018 at N7,000,000,000.00.
**Plot 683, Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, comprising a five-storey building (now the luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi, with 53 rooms/suites), which was purchased in September 2020 at carcass level at N850,000,000.00 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 of terraces, purchased in January 2021 at N360,000,000.00.
**Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Maitama, with 15 rooms), which was purchased in February 2018 at N430,000,000.00 (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 N325,000,000.00.
**Shop No. C82 Citiscape—Shariff Plaza, Plot 739 Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, FCT, Abuja, which was purchased in March 2024 at N120,000,000.00.
**No. 4 Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, which was purchased in December 2022 at N300,000,000.00.
**Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa, GRA, Kano, purchased in July 2019 with no specific amount stated.
**A plaza, commercial toilets, laundering, and warehouse tanks adjacent to Birnin Kebbi Market, which was purchased in 2021 at N100,000,000.00.
**100 hectares of land along Birnin Kebbi-Jega Road, which was purchased in 2020 at N100,000,000.00.
**4 Bedroom Bungalow Gesse Phase, Birnin Kebbi, which was purchased in 2023 at N101,000,000.00.
**Shops Nos. A36 and B3 Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja, which were purchased in July 2023 at N158,000,000.00.
**No. 26, Babbi Drive, BUA Estate, Abuja, purchased in 2022 at N136,000,000.00.
**No. 27, EFAB Estates Avenue, 59th Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja, purchased in January 2016 at N120,000,000.00.
**4 Bedroom/2 Rooms Boys Quarters at No. 10B, DOKA Crescent, Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, purchased in January 2018 at N40,000,000.00.
**Plot No. 13, IPENT 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, purchased in June 2018 at N85,000,000.00.
**A bedroom duplex & boys quarters at No. 12 Yalinga Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, purchased in October 2018 at N150,000,000.00.
**Two warehouse shops, B40 and B46, Wuse Market, Abuja, purchased in July 2020 at N50,000,000.00.
**Twin houses at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, purchased between February and May 2017 at N250,000,000.00.
**Properties acquired by the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative at the Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi, sold by the Federal Housing Authority Mortgage.
These are nine units of three-bedroom bungalows, three units of two-bedroom bungalows, and 5.4 hectares of land, which were purchased between February 2023 and September 2023 at N187,000,000.00.
**Rayhaan University, Kebbi State, which includes Rayhaan University Permanent Site, Rayhaan University Temporary Site, Rayhaan University Third Site, and Rayhaan University Vice Chancellor House, valued at N56,000,000,000.00, N37,800,000,000.00, N2,450,000,000.00, and N490,000,000.00, respectively.
**Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory in Kebbi, which includes Factory Buildings, Factory Machines and Plant Units, Factory Mosque, Rayhaan Mill Staff Quarters, and Rayhaan Bustan Building, valued at N4,200,000,000.00, N10,500,000,000.00, N2,450,000,000.00, N1,487,500,000.00, and N3,150,000,000.00, respectively.
**Azbir Arena, Kebbi State, which comprises Azbir Hotel, Printing Press, Gallery, Gardens, Mosque, Azbir Clothing and Azbir Pharmacy and Supermarket, valued at N10,325,000,000.00; N1,050,000,000.00; N581,000,000.00; N392,000,000.00; N252,000,000.00; N350,000,000.00; and N175,000,000.00, respectively.
**Other properties held in Kebbi State include Al-Afiya Energy Tanker Garage, opposite Rayhaan University Health Centre, along Sani Abacha Bypass Road.
In the lawsuit titled FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, which was filed on January 6 by J.S. Okutepa, SAN, but dated January 5, the EFCC requested two reliefs.
Daniel Adebayo, an investigating officer with the EFCC's Special Duties Committee, stated in the affidavit attached to the application that the agency received multiple petitions against Malami from various individuals alleging cases of fraud, corruption, and abuse of office.
Three groups made many petitions against the former minister, according to the investigator, who stated that his team was tasked with conducting a covert investigation after receiving the petitions. “In carrying out the mandate of the commission, my team carried out several investigation activities which include making enquiries and receiving financial records from commercial banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),” he said.
According to the investigator, it also involved writing to and getting answers from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The Kebbi State Inland Revenue Service, the FCT Inland Revenue Service, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Land Registry of Kebbi State, Sokoto State, and Kano State, and the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) were additional.
Additionally, according to Adebayo, it involved inviting and interrogating those who were involved in the probe in addition to inspecting the sold land parcels.
He claimed that during his tenure as AGF from 2015 to 2023, Malami received a total compensation of N89,664,000.00, with an average of N962,663.68 each month. When Malami visited abroad on official business, the investigator claimed he was also given estacode allowances to cover his expenses.
The officer claims that in a June 2023 letter to the Chairman of the CCB as a supplement to his Assets Declaration Form, he (Malami) computed and submitted a total of N253,608,500.00 as the amount he got for the official visits between 2015 and 2023.
Adebayo averred that Malami did not state that he neither travelled for the official trips nor did not use the allowances paid for the trips.
The officer also identified a number of additional businesses that are part of the Rayhaan Group Ltd, such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Atmal Oil and Gas Limited, and Rayhaan Communication Limited.