The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a final court order forfeiting 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government after the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Wednesday, followed months of legal proceedings arising from an interim forfeiture order granted earlier this year. The court held that the affected properties were not shown to have been acquired through legitimate sources of income, paving the way for their permanent forfeiture.
According to Brandspur Politics, the forfeited assets include Rayhaan University in Kebbi State, its permanent and temporary campuses, the Vice Chancellor’s residence, Rayhaan Radio, hotels in Abuja and Kano, commercial buildings, residential properties, agricultural facilities, industrial assets, filling stations, warehouses and extensive parcels of land across several states.
Among the major assets affected are Meethaq Hotels in Abuja, Zeennoor Hotel in Kano, Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory, Azbir Arena and its associated businesses, multiple residential developments in the Federal Capital Territory, commercial plazas, shopping outlets and hundreds of hectares of land located in Kebbi State.
The case originated from an interim forfeiture order issued on January 6, 2026, after the EFCC filed an ex parte application seeking temporary seizure of the properties pending further proceedings. In compliance with the court’s directive, the anti-graft agency subsequently published notices inviting interested parties to challenge the forfeiture.
Following the publication, Malami and 14 other respondents, including family members and associates, approached the court to contest the interim order. They questioned the court’s jurisdiction and argued against granting a final forfeiture of the assets.
After hearing the applications, Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the respondents failed to discharge the legal burden of proving that the properties were acquired with funds from legitimate sources. The court held that merely asserting ownership was insufficient without credible evidence demonstrating the lawful origin of the assets.
The judgment further reaffirmed the legal principle governing non-conviction-based asset forfeiture, stressing that individuals seeking to recover seized assets must establish, with evidence, that the properties were purchased through legitimate income rather than relying solely on ownership claims.
The ruling represents one of the most significant asset forfeiture decisions secured by the EFCC in recent years, covering educational institutions, hospitality businesses, commercial developments, industrial facilities and other high-value assets spread across the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi and Kano States.
The decision also reinforces the commission’s continued reliance on non-conviction-based forfeiture proceedings as part of Nigeria’s broader anti-corruption framework aimed at recovering assets suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities where the evidential requirements prescribed by law have been satisfied.
