Court Orders Forfeiture of N212.8bn Linked to Malami

On [date not specified], the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyc Abdulmalik, ordered the permanent forfeiture of assets valued at approximately N212.8 billion (about $154.6 million) linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. This ruling is part of Nigeria's largest civil asset recovery case in recent years, initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court found sufficient grounds to establish that the assets were allegedly acquired through unlawful activities rather than legitimate income. The EFCC had initiated civil forfeiture proceedings against 57 properties associated with Malami's companies.

The court granted final forfeiture of 48 properties to the federal government while declining to forfeit nine others due to insufficient evidence. Justice Abdulmalik dismissed objections from Malami's family members regarding the ownership of the properties, stating they failed to rebut the evidence presented by the EFCC.

This judgment marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation into Malami, who served as Attorney General from 2015 to 2023 during former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.