The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in favour of the Federal Government after ruling that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established sufficient grounds to show the assets were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities. The ruling marks a significant development in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched anti-corruption cases.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign recorded another major courtroom victory on Wednesday after the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the permanent seizure of dozens of high-value assets linked to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the application filed by the EFCC, ruling that the commission had presented sufficient evidence to justify the permanent forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.
The forfeiture followed an earlier interim forfeiture order, during which the court directed the EFCC to publish notices inviting any interested persons to show cause why the assets should not be permanently confiscated.
According to the court, the statutory period expired without any successful challenge capable of displacing the EFCC’s evidence, paving the way for the final order.
Court documents indicate that the forfeited assets include 48 properties located across the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi States.
The assets reportedly include luxury residential buildings, commercial properties, an agro-allied factory and even a university campus, making it one of the largest single property forfeitures linked to a former public official in recent years.
The EFCC argued before the court that investigations revealed the properties were reasonably suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Abdulmalik agreed that the commission had satisfied the legal threshold required under Nigeria’s forfeiture laws, holding that the evidence before the court justified transferring ownership of the assets permanently to the Federal Government.
The forfeiture proceedings are separate from the criminal case already pending against Malami.
The former justice minister is currently facing multiple charges, including allegations of money laundering and conspiracy, allegations he has denied. He has pleaded not guilty, and those criminal proceedings remain before the court. The forfeiture order does not amount to a criminal conviction, as civil forfeiture proceedings are determined under a different legal standard.
Legal analysts say the judgment represents another significant milestone in the EFCC’s use of civil forfeiture proceedings to recover assets believed to have been acquired unlawfully.
They note that the decision reinforces the judiciary’s role in asset recovery while highlighting the increasing reliance on non-conviction-based forfeiture where the legal requirements are met. The ruling may also influence other ongoing corruption-related asset recovery cases across the country.
Although the forfeiture order hands ownership of the properties to the Federal Government, Malami’s criminal trial continues independently. The latest judgment nevertheless represents one of the most consequential asset recovery decisions involving a former Attorney General and is expected to remain a major talking point in Nigeria’s anti-corruption landscape.