Court orders final forfeiture of 48 property linked to ex-AGF Malami
By: Abudu Olalekan
Court just dropped the hammer. Final forfeiture of 48 property linked to former Attorney General Abubakar Malami. Gone. Straight to the Federal Government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the judgment on Wednesday. She said the EFCC had done enough. Reasonable suspicion was there. The assets looked dirty. Malami, his family and the companies tied to those properties could not shake that off.
The judge was clear. This was never really about who holds the papers. It was about where the money came from. “The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property,” she said. Straight talk. The respondents never dislodged the suspicion that unlawful activities paid for them.
She leaned on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and granted the EFCC its final forfeiture. Some of the interim orders got discharged though. Not everything stayed locked.
Flash back a bit. The anti-graft agency filed this civil case in January. They wanted 57 properties worth about N212.8 billion permanently taken. Alleged proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former AGF. On January 16, vacation judge Justice Emeka Nwite slapped an interim order on them. Told EFCC to publish it so anyone interested could come show cause.
Properties scattered across Abuja, Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna. After the notice ran, Malami stepped in. So did his wife Nana Hadiza Malami, his son Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, and a string of companies. They fought the interim order hard. Claimed everything was clean. Lawfully bought. Said the EFCC was just guessing. No real link to any crime. No specific offence pointed out. Speculation, they called it.
Case got reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik after the court vacation. At the hearing EFCC counsel pushed their line. Investigations showed the properties were bought with dirty money. Fronts. Individuals and companies holding them for Malami. And in these civil forfeiture matters, they only need reasonable suspicion. Not proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Parties adopted their final addresses in May. Judgment was supposed to come July 6. Got pushed twice. Finally landed Wednesday.
That’s the story. Forty-eight properties now officially forfeit. Malami side couldn’t convince the court the money was clean. EFCC walked away with the win. Simple as that.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
