Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has filed a motion at the Federal High Court in Abuja, requesting that the interim forfeiture order on three of his properties be set aside. The order had been issued by the court following an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) application.
The three properties—Plots No. 9, 18, and 48—are part of a broader list of 57 assets that the EFCC claims were acquired through illicit means. The court initially granted a temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government on January 6, 2026.
Malami’s legal team, led by Joseph Daudu (SAN), argued in the motion that the properties were legitimately acquired and had been fully declared in his Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) asset disclosure forms during his tenure in office.
Daudu explained that all three properties, including their values and sources, were clearly listed in Malami’s asset declarations between 2019 and 2023. He also clarified that Property No. 48, the ADC Kadi Malami Foundation Building valued at ₦56 million, is held in trust as part of his late father Kadi Malami’s estate and is not owned personally by the former AGF.
The defence further contended that the EFCC had misrepresented ownership details and withheld crucial information in securing the interim forfeiture, thereby violating Malami’s constitutional rights, including the right to property, presumption of innocence, and private family life.
Relief Sought
Malami is requesting the court to grant two primary orders:
- Set aside the interim forfeiture of the three properties—Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Kano (No. 9); a duplex in Wuse II, Abuja (No. 18); and the ADC Foundation Building (No. 48).
- Restrict the EFCC from taking any further steps or interfering with these assets.
Defence Maintains No Criminal Link
The former AGF’s legal team emphasized that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie connection between the properties and any alleged criminal activity. Daudu argued that the declarations of Properties No. 9 and 18 in Malami’s CCB filings constitute evidence of lawful ownership.
Gossip News Now reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, sitting as a vacation judge on January 6, approved the EFCC’s ex parte request for temporary forfeiture of the 57 properties linked to Malami. EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN) told the court that the assets were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. The court then ordered that the forfeiture notice be published in a national newspaper, allowing 14 days for any interested party to challenge the permanent forfeiture.
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