A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties valued at N213.2 billion allegedly linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and two of his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru-Rahman Malami.
The order was granted on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and argued by its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN).
NRTC had earlier reported that Malami, alongside his wife, Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar, was arraigned by the EFCC over an alleged N8.7 billion money laundering charge, which is currently before Justice Nwite.
According to the court, the affected properties are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States.
In granting the application, Justice Nwite ruled:
“It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honorable court is 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.”
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The judge further directed that the interim forfeiture order be published in a national daily, inviting any individual or corporate body with an interest in the properties to show cause within 14 days why a final forfeiture order should not be made.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to January 27, 2026, for a report on compliance.
The forfeited assets include luxury duplexes, hotels, plazas, schools, oil and gas filling stations, shops, factories, supermarkets, pharmacies, and vast expanses of land, some of which are reportedly valued in billions of naira.
Among the listed properties are a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, acquired in December 2022 for N500 million and now valued at about N5.95 billion; a two-winged storey building in Area 11, Garki, formerly Harmonia Hotels, purchased for N7 billion; and a five-storey hotel complex in Jabi District, now operating as Meethaq Hotels, valued at N8.4 billion.
Others include hotel facilities in Maitama and Jabi, terraces in Asokoro, commercial shops in Wuse II, residential properties in Kano, farmlands and industrial facilities in Kebbi State, as well as multiple commercial plazas and shopping malls.
The EFCC has maintained that the interim forfeiture is part of ongoing efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired through illicit means, pending the determination of the substantive criminal charges.
