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, to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja held that the anti-graft agency established the reasonable suspicion required under the law to justify the permanent forfeiture of the assets.
The court ruled that Malami, his family members and companies linked to the properties failed to rebut the EFCC’s allegations that the assets were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several applications and motions filed by the respondents, describing them as lacking merit.
She held that the central issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but whether the funds used to acquire them were legitimate.
Relying on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the court granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the assets. However, it discharged the interim forfeiture order on some of the properties.
The EFCC had, in January, instituted civil forfeiture proceedings seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at N212.8 billion, alleging that they were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former Attorney General.
Following an interim forfeiture order granted by Justice Emeka Nwite, the commission published notices inviting interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
Malami, alongside his wife, Nana Hadiza Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, and several companies connected to the assets, challenged the application, insisting the properties were lawfully acquired and arguing that the EFCC failed to establish any link between the assets and criminal activities.
The commission, however, maintained that its investigations showed the properties were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and held through individuals and companies allegedly acting as fronts for the former minister.
After considering the arguments of both parties, the court upheld the EFCC’s application, paving the way for the Federal Government to take ownership of the 48 forfeited properties.
