A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary forfeiture of 57 properties tied to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and two of his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru-Rahman Malami, to the Federal Government.
According to a statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman, Dele Oyewale, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Tuesday after an ex-parte application filed by EFCC lawyer Ekele Iheanacho.
Oyewale said the properties, valued at approximately N213.2 billion, are located in Abuja as well as Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States, and are suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite instructed that the assets listed in the schedule attached to the motion be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government. The judge stated, “It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The court also directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper. This will give any interested parties 14 days to present reasons why the properties should not be permanently forfeited. The next hearing to report on compliance is scheduled for January 27, 2026.
The assets include a wide range of properties, such as hotels, schools, university buildings, filling stations, warehouses, plazas, residential buildings, shops, factories, and large parcels of land. Some of the properties listed are:
A luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, purchased in December 2022 for N500 million, now valued at N5.95 billion.
A two-winged multi-storey building on Onitsha Crescent, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels), bought in December 2018 for N7 billion.
Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi, a five-storey hotel with 53 rooms, purchased in September 2020 for N850 million, now valued at N8.4 billion.
Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Maitama, a 15-room property bought in February 2018 for N430 million, currently worth N12.95 billion.
Other properties across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna, including plazas, commercial shops, bungalows, warehouses, and land parcels, purchased between 2016 and 2024 with values ranging from N40 million to over N8 billion.
Malami, his wife Bashir Asabe, and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz are already facing trial before Justice Nwite for alleged N8.7 billion money laundering.