The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly connected to Abubakar Malami, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Through a motion filed by its legal team led by Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the agency told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents failed to present sufficient evidence to overturn an earlier interim forfeiture order.
The EFCC is relying on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, describing the properties as “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
According to an affidavit by EFCC investigator Daniel Adebayo, the commission carried out extensive investigations involving agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Code of Conduct Bureau, and land registries, alongside site visits and asset valuations.
The agency argued that Malami’s declared earnings between 2015 and 2023 were disproportionate to the value of the assets, alleging that some properties were acquired through proxies and companies, including entities linked to the Rayhaan Group Ltd.
The properties, spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States, are part of a non-conviction-based forfeiture process.
The EFCC maintained that the interim order, earlier published in a national daily, was not sufficiently challenged.
Justice Abdulmalik has fixed April 21 for hearing, while Malami and other respondents continue efforts to overturn the interim forfeiture order.