A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. She ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission met the legal standard of reasonable suspicion to justify taking over the assets.
According to the court, Malami, members of his family, and companies tied to the properties did not provide enough evidence to counter EFCC claims that the assets were bought with proceeds of unlawful activities. Justice Abdulmalik said the case was not about who owns the properties on paper, but about the source of the funds used to acquire them.
With the ruling, the court made final the forfeiture of 48 out of 57 properties listed in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026. It vacated the interim forfeiture order on the remaining nine assets.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale had earlier put the value of all 57 properties at about N213.2 billion when the commission secured an interim forfeiture order in January 2026 before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The assets cut across the FCT, Kano, Kaduna and Kebbi states, and include hotels, schools, factories, plazas, filling stations, warehouses and residential buildings.
Some of the high-value properties listed in the judgment include:
- FCT: Luxury duplex in Maitama – N5.95 billion; Meethaq Hotels, Maitama – N12.95 billion; Plot 683 Jabi hotel – N8.4 billion; twin houses in Apo Legislative Quarters – N250 million
- Kano: Zeennoor Hotel, Kabuga – N11.2 billion; Rayhaan Hotel – N2.24 billion; properties on Ahmadu Bello Way
- Kebbi: Rayhaan University permanent site – N56 billion; temporary site – N37.8 billion; Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory – over N22 billion in buildings, machines and facilities; Azbir Hotel – N10.325 billion; Rayhaan Model Academy – N11.2 billion; Rayhaan School – N8.75 billion
- Kaduna: Four-bedroom bungalow in Abakpa GRA – N40 million
Other assets include shopping plazas, mosques, printing presses, pharmacies, radio stations, oil and gas stations, and several family residences.
Details of the nine properties that were excluded from the final forfeiture were not made public at the time of the judgment.
The forfeiture is one of the largest asset recovery orders involving a former minister in recent years.
