The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 out of 57 properties valued at approximately ₦212 billion and linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the ruling after granting the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while dismissing objections raised by Malami, members of his family, and several companies claiming ownership of the assets.
In her judgment, the judge held that the central issue before the court was not the identity of the registered owners of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were legitimately sourced.
“The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties,” Justice Abdulmalik ruled.
The court’s decision means that 48 of the 57 assets initially placed under an interim forfeiture order will now be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The affected properties are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states and include luxury hotels, high-end duplexes, commercial plazas, warehouses, shopping complexes, educational institutions, residential estates, factories, filling stations, and other high-value real estate.
Among the most valuable assets listed are the Rayhaan University permanent site, valued at ₦56 billion, the university’s temporary and third sites, the Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory, Azbir Hotel, Meethaq Hotels in Abuja, Zeennoor Hotel in Kano, and numerous residential and commercial developments in the Federal Capital Territory and Kebbi State.
The EFCC had argued that the properties were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and sought their permanent forfeiture under Nigeria’s asset recovery laws.
The judgment marks one of the largest civil asset forfeiture cases in Nigeria’s history in terms of the estimated value of properties involved.
Neither Malami nor his legal team had publicly reacted to the judgment at the time of filing this report. It also remains unclear which nine of the 57 properties were excluded from the final forfeiture order.
The ruling represents a significant victory for the EFCC in its ongoing campaign to recover assets allegedly acquired through illicit means.
