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EFCC Seeks Final Forfeiture Of 57 Properties Linked To Ex-AGF Malami
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested the Federal High Court in Abuja, to make an order for the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to the federal government.
In a motion on notice for final forfeiture of the said property, the commission through its team of lawyers, led by Mr. Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents had failed to place sufficient evidence before the court, to warrant the court to vacate its earlier order for the interim forfeiture of the 57 properties.
The former AGF, his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar, wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami are listed as 1st to 4th respondents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026.
Others are Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Ltd, Mountain View Gold and Jewellery Ltd, Amasdul Oil and Gas Ltd, Azbir Arena Nigeria Ltd, Meethaq Hotels Ltd as 5th to 9th respondents.
They also include Rayhaan University Ltd/GTE, Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, Zeenoor Hotels Ltd, Kawsar Ben of Brahim, Alhaji Muktaka Usman Junju, Real Edge Agro Services Ltd as 10th to 15th respondents, respectively.
The application was brought pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.
Specifically, the commission is seeking “a final order of this honorable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the properties described in the schedule below, which were found by the commission as properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The application is predicated on six grounds, amongst which is that the court has the statutory powers under the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, to grant the reliefs being sought.
While observing that the motion is a non-conviction-based asset forfeiture, applicant submitted that the properties sought to be attached and forfeited are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
“This honourable court made an interim order forfeiting the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The order of the honourable court has been published in a national daily, namely THISDAY Newspaper of 9th January, 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 the affidavit in support of the motion, the commission claimed it received several petitions against the former minister from different organisations alleging a serious case of corruption, abuse of office, and fraud.
Deponent of the affidavit, an investigating officer with the Special Duties Committee of the EFCC, Daniel Adebayo, disclosed that upon receipt of the series of petitions, his team carried out several investigation activities which included making inquiries and receiving financial records from commercial banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He added that the team invited and interviewed individuals who featured in the investigation.
He listed Malami’s lawful sources of income while he served as minister between 2015 and 2023, including salaries, allowances, estacodes, which total sums were not proportionate to the alleged properties he illegally acquired.
“I know as a fact and verily believe the findings of the investigation, which are as follows:
“Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, hereinafter referred to as HAGF, from 2015 to 2023.
“He was paid a total of N89, 664, 000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, whilst in office, with an average payment of N962,663.68 per month.
“He also received a severance allowance of N12, 158, 400.00 at the end of his tenure in office.
“Mr. Malami SAN was also paid estacodes allowances to cover his travel expenses whenever he travelled outside the country on official trips.
“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253, 608, 500.00 as the amount he received for the official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter written to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to his Assets Declaration Form in June 2023.
“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibit 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 addendum to the assets declaration form as found at his house during EFCC’s execution of search warrant.”
He said, “Aside the actual acquisition of the properties which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr. Malami‘s known and lawful sources of income, no building permits/approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained to erect most of the various structures in Kano and Kebbi States as part of a scheme to disguise unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”
Adebayo alleged that Malami indirectly acquired some of the multiple assets either in his name or through third-party individuals or front companies/entities (which are currently under his chairmanship vide the Rayhaan Group Ltd).
The EFCC listed the 57 multi-billion naira landed properties located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna States, including temporary and permanent sites of Rayhaan University in Kebbi.
Justice Abdulmalik had fixed April 21 for the hearing of the commission’s motion.
Recall that a sister court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had, on January 6, ordered the interim forfeiture of the 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities to the federal government.
The judge made the order following an ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Iheanacho.
The judge directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested person(s) to show cause, within 14 days, why all the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The case was, however, reassigned to Justice Obiora Egwuatu after the vacation ended but Egwuatu recused himself from the matter, citing personal reasons and in the interest of justice, before it was reassigned to Abdulmalik.
Malami and others had since challenged the anti-graft agency’s civil suit, praying the court to vacate the order.
