The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.
The anti-graft agency, in a motion on notice filed by its legal team led by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) and Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents failed to present sufficient material before the court to justify setting aside the interim forfeiture order earlier granted.
The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, listed Malami, Hajiya Bashir Asabe, and Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami among the respondents, alongside several companies allegedly linked to the assets.
The EFCC brought the application pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, seeking “a final order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in the schedule below, which were found by the commission to be properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
Arguing the motion, Okutepa said the proceeding was a non-conviction-based forfeiture and that the court had the statutory powers to grant the relief sought.
He added: “This honourable court made an interim order forfeiting the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The order of the honourable court was published in a national daily, namely THISDAY Newspaper of January 9, 2026.
“No sufficient cause has been shown why the properties under the interim forfeiture order should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Okutepa argued.
In an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, Daniel Adebayo, the commission said it received multiple petitions alleging corruption, abuse of office, and fraud against the former minister.
Adebayo stated that investigations included obtaining financial records from banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as inquiries from agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Code of Conduct Bureau, and the Abuja Geographical Information System.
He added that land registries in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Kano states were also examined, while assets were physically verified and valued. Individuals linked to the transactions were also invited and interviewed.
He further stated that Malami’s earnings while in office between 2015 and 2023, including salaries, allowances, and estacodes, were not commensurate with the value of the assets under investigation.
“I know as a fact and verily believe the findings of the investigation, which are as follows:
“Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation from 2015 to 2023.
“He was paid a total of N89,664,000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, with an average monthly payment of N962,663.68.
“He also received a severance allowance of N12,158,400.00 at the end of his tenure.
“Mr. Malami, SAN, was also paid estacodes to cover travel expenses for official trips outside the country.
“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253,608,500.00 as the amount received for official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, as an addendum to his asset declaration form in June 2023.
“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibits EFCC 2 & 3 are copies of the asset declaration forms filled out by Mr. Malami, SAN, from 2015 to 2023, together with a letter dated June 16, 2023, written by him to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to the asset declaration form, as found at his residence during the EFCC’s execution of a search warrant.”
Adebayo further deposed: “Aside from the acquisition of the properties, which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr. Malami, SAN’s known and lawful sources of income, no building permits or approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained for many of the structures in Kano and Kebbi states, as part of a scheme to disguise the unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”
He alleged that some of the properties were acquired through proxies and corporate entities linked to the former minister.
The EFCC listed 57 landed properties spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, including assets tied to Rayhaan University in Kebbi.
Justice Abdulmalik fixed April 21 for the hearing of the motion.
The case stems from an earlier order of the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 8, 2026, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, which granted an interim forfeiture of the 57 properties following an ex parte application by the EFCC.
The properties, valued at about N213.2 billion, were said to be linked to Malami and two of his sons and are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court directed that the assets be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government and ordered the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to show cause within 14 days why they should not be permanently forfeited.
Following the interim order, Malami and other respondents challenged the forfeiture proceedings, urging the court to set aside the order.
