Appeal Court Delays Ruling on Malami's Property Forfeiture Case

The Appeal Court in Abuja has reserved its ruling on an application filed by Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation, seeking permission to appeal a Federal High Court ruling regarding the forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly connected to unlawful activities. Malami's lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, argued that the delay in filing the appeal was due to the time taken to obtain a certified true copy of the lower court's ruling.

The application included a four-paragraph affidavit supporting the request for an extension of time to file the appeal. Daudu insisted that the delay was not due to negligence and that the appeal should be allowed to proceed.

In contrast, Jibrin Okutepa, representing the EFCC, opposed the application, stating that the matter falls under fast-track practices for direct applications in corruption cases and that Malami failed to provide sufficient reasons for the delay. The case stems from a January 6 order by Justice Nwite for the interim forfeiture of the properties, following an ex parte application by the EFCC.