Nigerian Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 48 Properties Linked to Ex-Attorney General Malami

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government, handing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) one of its biggest civil asset recovery victories in recent years.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the EFCC presented sufficient evidence to establish that the properties were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. The court held that no convincing evidence was provided to prove the assets were obtained through legitimate means.

The forfeiture follows an interim order issued earlier this month, which gave interested parties 14 days to challenge the seizure. With no successful claims overturning the order, the court granted the EFCC’s application for permanent forfeiture of 48 of the 57 properties it sought. Nine properties were excluded from the final order.

The forfeited assets include a luxury duplex in Abuja, a university campus, an agro-allied factory and several residential and commercial properties across northern Nigeria.

The civil forfeiture case is separate from the ongoing criminal proceedings against Malami, who is facing multiple money laundering and conspiracy charges. He has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The EFCC described the judgment as a major milestone in its campaign to recover assets suspected to have been acquired through corruption and financial crimes.
Compliance takeaway: The court-ordered forfeiture underscores the importance of strong anti-money laundering (AML) controls, transparent asset ownership, accurate financial disclosures, and robust due diligence, reinforcing that authorities can pursue the recovery of assets suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity through civil forfeiture proceedings.