ABUJA, Nigeria: A judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to Nigeria’s former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 3:09 PM WAT.
Okay News reports that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission established the reasonable suspicion required by law to justify the forfeiture of the assets.
The judge dismissed several applications filed by Malami, his family members, and associated companies, describing them as “wanting in merit.” She stated that the respondents failed to prove the assets were lawfully acquired under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
“The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property,” Abdulmalik said. She added that the respondents had “not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities.”
The anti-graft agency initiated civil forfeiture proceedings in January 2026, seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties initially valued at N212.8 billion (approximately $141.8 million). On January 16, 2026, Justice Emeka Nwite granted an interim forfeiture order over the assets located in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi, and Kaduna states.
During the final hearing, counsel for the commission argued that the properties were held in the names of individuals and companies acting as fronts, and the court discharged the interim forfeiture order in respect of some of the properties before issuing the final ruling on the remaining assets.
