Appeal Court Reserves Ruling on Malami's Forfeiture Case

The Appeal Court in Abuja has reserved its ruling on an application filed by former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, seeking leave to appeal a Federal High Court ruling regarding the forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to unlawful activities. The three-member panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, did not set a date for the ruling but stated that the parties would be notified when ready.

Malami's counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, challenged the ruling delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, which initiated forfeiture proceedings based on an interim order from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Daudu argued that the application for leave to appeal was valid and that the delay in filing was due to the time taken to obtain a certified copy of the ruling.

EFCC's counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, opposed the application, describing it as unnecessary and asserting that the matter fell within the ambit of fast-track practices for corruption-related cases. The properties in question were alleged to have been acquired fraudulently during Malami's tenure as Attorney General.