The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties belonging to Ex- AGF, Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to the Federal Government.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had established the legally required reasonable suspicion to justify seizing the assets.
The judge concluded that Malami, his family, and entities tied to the properties failed to disprove the commission’s assertion that the assets were acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities.
Before issuing the final ruling, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several applications, motions on notice, and applications to show cause filed by the respondents, labeling them as “wanting in merit.”
She maintained that the core issue before the court was the legitimacy of the funds used to purchase the properties, rather than who owned them.
“The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property,” the judge said.
Citing Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, Justice Abdulmalik granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture. The court, however, lifted the interim forfeiture order on some of the properties.
Back in January, the anti-graft agency had initiated civil forfeiture proceedings to permanently confiscate 57 properties valued at N212.8 billion, alleging they were acquired with the proceeds of criminal activities linked to the former AGF.
Backstory…
The court’s decision marks the latest development in the legal troubles facing former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
In January, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured an interim forfeiture order covering 57 properties allegedly linked to Malami, claiming they were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and valued at over ₦212 billion.
The anti-graft agency subsequently asked the court to make the forfeiture permanent after inviting interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be confiscated.
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