The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties valued at about ₦213 billion, which are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities linked to Abubakar Malami, former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Wednesday after an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN. The properties, described by the court as multi-billion-naira assets, are located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means and therefore ordered their temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government. He further directed the EFCC to publish the forfeiture order in a national newspaper, inviting any interested individuals or organisations to show cause within 14 days why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
The judge adjourned the matter to January 37 for a report on compliance with the court’s directive.
The properties listed in the application include luxury duplexes, hotels, plazas, warehouses, shopping complexes, large parcels of land and residential buildings situated in high-end areas such as Maitama, Asokoro, Jabi, Wuse and Gwarimpa in Abuja, as well as locations in Birnin Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna. Investigators alleged that several of the assets were acquired between 2015 and 2025, with some running into billions of naira following upgrades and development.
Malami, alongside his wife Hajia Bashir Asabe and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz, is currently standing trial before the same court over an alleged ₦8.7 billion money laundering case.
According to the EFCC, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the defendants are accused of conspiring to conceal the illicit origin of funds, acquiring properties through proxies, and retaining proceeds allegedly derived from criminal activities, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 and 2022.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that the offences were committed during Malami’s tenure as attorney-general under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, claiming that large sums of money were funneled through bank accounts and property acquisitions in an effort to disguise their source.