The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to direct the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.
The commission, through a motion on notice filed by its legal team led by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) and Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), informed Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents did not provide enough evidence before the court to warrant setting aside the interim forfeiture order earlier granted.
The motion, filed vide the number FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, listed Malami, Hajia Bashir Asabe and Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami among the respondents, alongside several companies allegedly linked to the assets.
The EFCC file the request under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, asking for “a final order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the properties described in the schedule below, which were found by the commission as properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The commission’s counsel, Okutepa said the proceeding was a non-conviction-based forfeiture, adding that the court has the statutory authority to grant the relief sought.
He said “this honourable court made an interim order forfeiting the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The order of the honourable court has been published in a national daily, namely THISDAY Newspaper of 9th January, 2026.
“No sufficient cause has been shown why the properties under the interim forfeiture order should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Okutepa argued.
EFCC’s investigator, Daniel Adebayo, in an affidavit deposed to, said said the anti-graft agency was in possession of many petitions accusing the former minister of corruption, abuse of office and fraud.
According to the investigator, financial records from banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as well as inquiries from agencies including the Corporate Affairs Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Code of Conduct Bureau and the Abuja Geographical Information System were obtained during investigations, adding that land registries in Kebbi, Sokoto and Kano states were also queried, while assets were physically verified and valued.
He said individuals linked to the transactions were invited and interviewed, and that the former minister’s earnings while in office between 2015 and 2023, including salaries, allowances and estacodes, were not enough to make him earn the assets under investigation.
“I know as a fact and verily believe the findings of the investigation, which are as follows:
“Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) was the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, hereinafter referred to as HAGF, from 2015 to 2023.
“He was paid a total of N89,664,000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, whilst in office, with an average payment of N962,663.68 per month.
“He also received a severance allowance of N12,158,400.00 at the end of his tenure in office.
“Mr Malami SAN was also paid estacodes allowances to cover his travel expenses whenever he travelled outside the country on official trips.
“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253,608,500.00 as the amount he received for the official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter written to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to his Assets Declaration Form in June 2023.
“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibit EFCC 2 & 3 are copies of the asset declaration forms filled out by Mr Malami SAN from 2015 to 2023, together with a letter dated 16th of June, 2023, written by him to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to the asset declaration form as found at his house during EFCC’s execution of a search warrant.
“Aside from the actual acquisition of the properties which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr Malami SAN‘s known and lawful sources of income, no building permits/approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained to erect most of the various structures in Kano and Kebbi states as part of a scheme to disguise the unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”
“Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) was the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, hereinafter referred to as HAGF, from 2015 to 2023.
“He was paid a total of N89,664,000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, whilst in office, with an average payment of N962,663.68 per month.
“He also received a severance allowance of N12,158,400.00 at the end of his tenure in office.
“Mr Malami SAN was also paid estacodes allowances to cover his travel expenses whenever he travelled outside the country on official trips.
“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253,608,500.00 as the amount he received for the official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter written to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to his Assets Declaration Form in June 2023.
“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibit EFCC 2 & 3 are copies of the asset declaration forms filled out by Mr Malami SAN from 2015 to 2023, together with a letter dated 16th of June, 2023, written by him to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to the asset declaration form as found at his house during EFCC’s execution of a search warrant.
“Aside from the actual acquisition of the properties which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr Malami SAN‘s known and lawful sources of income, no building permits/approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained to erect most of the various structures in Kano and Kebbi states as part of a scheme to disguise the unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”
