The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 out of 57 properties valued at about N212 billion, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the ruling after granting the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture. The judge also dismissed objections filed by Malami, some of his family members, and several companies that claimed ownership of the properties, describing their arguments as lacking merit.
In her judgment, Justice Abdulmalik stated that the central issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were lawfully obtained. She held that the claimants failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the legitimacy of the assets.
The forfeited properties are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states. They include luxury hotels, residential duplexes, shopping plazas, warehouses, commercial units, and housing estates acquired over a number of years.
The ruling marks a major victory for the EFCC in its asset recovery efforts, with the affected properties now permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
