A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 luxury properties valued at approximately ₦213.2 billion, allegedly linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and two of his sons.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite, followed an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the properties are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States and are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Nwite, in granting the application, ordered that all assets listed in the schedule attached to the motion be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government, pending the determination of investigations and further legal proceedings.
The assets are allegedly linked not only to Malami but also to his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru Rahman Malami, raising questions over the scale and structure of ownership under probe by anti graft investigators.
The EFCC noted that the interim forfeiture is a procedural step aimed at preserving the assets while investigations continue, adding that the affected parties are expected to be given an opportunity to contest the forfeiture in court.
Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023, a period during which he oversaw several high profile legal and anti corruption cases.
The commission has not yet disclosed when substantive hearings on the matter will begin.