Court orders final forfeiture of 48 Malami-linked properties worth N212bn to FG

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 out of 57 properties valued at approximately N212 billion and linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the ruling on Tuesday, granting the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while dismissing objections from Malami, members of his family and several companies that claimed ownership of the properties.

The court held that the objections lacked merit, stating that the key issue was not ownership of the assets but whether the funds used to acquire them were legitimate.

The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties.

— Justice Joyce Abdulmalik

Properties spread across multiple states

The forfeited assets are located across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states. They include luxury hotels, duplexes, plazas, warehouses, shopping complexes, residential estates, educational institutions, factories and other commercial facilities acquired over several years.

Among the major assets listed are Meethaq Hotels in Maitama and Jabi, Abuja; the permanent and temporary sites of Rayhaan University in Kebbi State; Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory; Azbir Hotel; Rayhaan Model Academy; Zeennoor Hotel in Kano; Rayhaan Hotel, Kano; and several high-value residential properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna.

Other properties covered by the order include commercial buildings, filling stations, schools, staff quarters, mosques, printing press facilities, gardens and parcels of land in different parts of the country.

High-value assets identified

Some of the notable properties referenced during the proceedings include:

• A luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja, valued at N5.95 billion.
• Meethaq Hotel, Maitama, valued at N12.95 billion.
• Meethaq Hotel, Jabi, valued at N8.4 billion.
• Rayhaan University's permanent site, valued at N56 billion.
• Rayhaan University's temporary site, valued at N37.8 billion.
• Azbir Hotel, valued at N10.325 billion.
• Rayhaan Model Academy, valued at N11.2 billion.
• Zeennoor Hotel, Kano, valued at N11.2 billion.

The assets also include properties allegedly linked to Abubakar Malami, his sons Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru-Rahman Abubakar Malami, as well as Khadimiyya for Justice & Development Initiative and several other organisations.

Court upholds EFCC application

The properties formed part of 57 assets previously seized under an interim forfeiture order obtained by the EFCC.

Following Tuesday's judgment, 48 of those assets have now been permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, while the remaining properties were excluded from the final forfeiture order. The court did not individually identify the 48 assets beyond granting the EFCC's application.

The ruling marks a significant milestone in the EFCC's asset recovery campaign. The commission argued that those challenging the interim forfeiture failed to provide sufficient evidence proving that the funds used to acquire the properties were lawfully obtained.