The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified its legal battle to seize 57 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to order their permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government.
At proceedings before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the anti-graft agency argued that the assets—spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states—are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC’s application, filed under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, is part of a non-conviction-based asset forfeiture process, a legal mechanism increasingly deployed in Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive to recover suspected illicit wealth without a prior criminal conviction.
Led by senior advocates Jibrin Okutepa and Ekele Iheanacho, the EFCC’s legal team told the court that the respondents failed to provide sufficient evidence to overturn an earlier interim forfeiture order.
The respondents in the suit include Malami, members of his family, and several companies allegedly linked to him. Among them are firms connected to the Rayhaan Group, as well as hospitality, oil and gas, and agro-allied businesses.
In an affidavit deposed by EFCC investigator Daniel Adebayo, the commission said its probe was triggered by multiple petitions alleging corruption, abuse of office, and fraud during Malami’s tenure from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the EFCC, financial records obtained from institutions including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service revealed that the former minister’s declared earnings were not commensurate with the value of the properties in question.
The agency said Malami earned about ₦89.6 million in salary over eight years, alongside allowances and estacodes totaling roughly ₦253.6 million, yet allegedly acquired multi-billion-naira assets during the same period.
Investigators further alleged that some of the properties were obtained through proxies and front companies, while others lacked proper building approvals – moves the EFCC claims were designed to conceal the origin of funds.
The case stems from an interim forfeiture order granted on January 6, 2026, by Justice Emeka Nwite, who directed the EFCC to publish the order for public notice. The publication, made in a national daily, invited interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
The matter later passed through multiple judicial hands, including Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who recused himself, before being reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik.
Malami and the other respondents have challenged the forfeiture, asking the court to set aside the interim order, arguing that the assets were lawfully acquired.
The EFCC’s move reflects a trend in the country’s anti-corruption efforts, where authorities increasingly rely on civil forfeiture proceedings to recover suspected illicit assets. Experts say such measures, while controversial, have become a key tool in tackling complex financial crimes where criminal prosecutions may be prolonged.
The commission has in recent years secured several high-profile forfeiture orders involving politically exposed persons, reinforcing its mandate to trace and recover proceeds of corruption.
Justice Abdulmalik has fixed April 21, 2026, for hearing of the EFCC’s motion for final forfeiture, a proceeding that could determine the fate of the disputed properties and mark a significant development in one of the most prominent corruption-linked asset recovery cases involving a former top government official.
