ABUJA, NIGERIA — July 15, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties, including a university, linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established that the assets were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court held that Malami failed to provide sufficient evidence demonstrating that the properties were acquired through legitimate sources of income.
Before delivering judgment, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several applications and objections filed by Malami, members of his family, and companies linked to the properties, describing the applications as lacking merit.
According to the court, the central issue was not the ownership of the assets but whether the funds used to acquire them were lawfully obtained. The judge ruled that the respondents failed to disprove the EFCC’s allegation that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities.
The final forfeiture order was granted under the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
However, the court declined to grant the EFCC’s request for the forfeiture of nine additional properties located in Kebbi and Kaduna states, ruling that the anti-graft agency did not provide sufficient evidence linking those assets to unlawful activities.
The EFCC had originally sought the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at approximately ₦212.8 billion, following an interim forfeiture order granted by Justice Emeka Nwite on January 16, 2026.
Following the interim order, Malami, his wife, Nana Hadiza Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and several companies linked to the properties challenged the action, insisting that the assets were lawfully acquired and that the EFCC failed to establish any connection between the properties and criminal activity.
The Federal High Court’s latest ruling brings the long-running forfeiture proceedings closer to a conclusion, although further legal action, including an appeal, remains a possibility.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor the case and provide updates on any further court proceedings or official reactions.
