The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 6, 2026, to deliver judgment in a forfeiture suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against 57 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The EFCC is seeking the final forfeiture of the properties, saying they are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the date after counsel for the EFCC, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and lawyers for Malami and other respondents adopted their processes and presented arguments.
Okutepa told the court that the application, filed in February, was supported by a 47-paragraph affidavit and 46 exhibits. He argued that Malami and the other respondents had not shown that the properties were lawfully acquired and asked the court to order their permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government.
Counsel for Malami and the other respondents, Adedayo Adedeji, opposed the application and asked the court to set aside the interim forfeiture order. He said the EFCC had not provided concrete evidence linking the properties to criminal proceeds and was relying on suspicion.
Adedeji also said the respondents filed a 109-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Malami to show cause why the final forfeiture request should not succeed. He argued that the matter could not be properly decided without oral testimony and noted that several of the disputed properties were acquired before Malami became Attorney-General.
The forfeiture proceedings are connected to an ongoing N8.7 billion money laundering case involving Malami, his wife Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami. The three pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge when they were arraigned in January and were granted bail of N1.5 billion each.
