The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified its legal pursuit against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to permanently forfeit 57 properties allegedly traced to him and linked to proceeds of unlawful activities.
In a motion on notice for final forfeiture, the anti-graft agency, through its legal team led by Senior Advocates of Nigeria Jibrin Okutepa and Ekele Iheanacho, argued before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents failed to provide sufficient evidence to overturn an earlier interim forfeiture order granted by the court.
The application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, lists Malami alongside multiple individuals and corporate entities alleged to be connected to the properties. Among them are Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, Hajia Bashir Asabe, Abiru Rahman Abubakar Malami, as well as companies including Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Ltd, Mountain View Gold and Jewellery Ltd, Amasdul Oil and Gas Ltd, Azbir Arena Nigeria Ltd, and Meethaq Hotels Ltd. Others include Rayhaan University Ltd/GTE, Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, Zeenoor Hotels Ltd, Kawsar Ben of Brahim, Alhaji Muktaka Usman Junju, and Real Edge Agro Services Ltd.
The EFCC anchored its application on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, describing the proceedings as a non-conviction-based asset forfeiture process. According to the commission, the properties in question are reasonably suspected to have been acquired through illicit means and should therefore revert to the Federal Government.
Arguing its case, the EFCC maintained that the court had already issued an interim forfeiture order, which was subsequently published in a national newspaper in January 2026, inviting interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be permanently seized. The agency noted that no compelling justification had been presented by the respondents to challenge that order.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, EFCC investigator Daniel Adebayo detailed the findings of a wide-ranging probe triggered by multiple petitions accusing Malami of corruption, abuse of office, and financial misconduct during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
According to Adebayo, the investigation involved extensive financial scrutiny, including analysis of bank records, and collaboration with several government institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and land registries across multiple states including Kebbi, Kano, and Sokoto. The probe also extended to the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) and the National Universities Commission (NUC), alongside physical inspections and valuation of properties.
The investigator revealed that Malami’s declared earnings during his time in office—including salaries, allowances, and estacodes—were significantly disproportionate to the value of the assets allegedly acquired. He stated that the former minister earned a total salary of N89.6 million over eight years, averaging about N962,000 monthly, alongside a severance package of N12.1 million. Additionally, Malami reportedly declared receiving N253.6 million in travel allowances during the same period.
Despite these earnings, the EFCC alleged that the scale and spread of the 57 properties—located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states—far exceeded his legitimate income. The assets include both developed and undeveloped properties, as well as institutional holdings such as the temporary and permanent sites of Rayhaan University in Kebbi State.
Adebayo further claimed that many of the properties were acquired indirectly through proxies, associates, and corporate fronts, particularly entities linked to the Rayhaan Group. He alleged that this structure was deliberately designed to conceal ownership and obscure the origin of funds used in acquiring the assets.
The EFCC also raised concerns over regulatory violations, alleging that several of the properties lacked proper building approvals or permits from relevant authorities. According to the commission, this formed part of a broader scheme to disguise the illicit origins of the funds used in developing the assets.
The agency insisted that the burden now rests on the respondents to demonstrate that the properties were legitimately acquired, arguing that their failure to do so strengthens the case for final forfeiture.
The case has drawn significant public and legal attention, not only because of Malami’s former position as the nation’s chief law officer but also due to the scale of the assets involved and the implications for accountability in public office.
Justice Abdulmalik has fixed April 21, 2026, for the hearing of the motion.
The legal battle follows an earlier ruling on January 6 by another Federal High Court judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, who granted the EFCC’s ex parte request for interim forfeiture of the properties. That ruling mandated the publication of the order to allow interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
Subsequently, the case was reassigned multiple times—first to Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who later recused himself citing personal reasons, and then to Justice Abdulmalik, who is now presiding over the matter.
Malami and the other respondents have challenged the EFCC’s suit, seeking to have the interim forfeiture order set aside, setting the stage for what is expected to be a prolonged and closely watched legal contest over one of the most expansive asset recovery cases in recent years.
Discussion about this post