TDThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The assets were initially placed under interim forfeiture.
They were found by the court to be reasonably suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court’s decision was taken after the EFCC presented evidence that they were not acquired through legitimate sources of income.
Seized assets from Malami, SAN
The seized assets include luxury homes, hotels, schools, filling stations, commercial plazas, warehouses, factories, and large parcels of land spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states.
Among the most valuable are:
- Meethaq Hotels in Jabi and Maitama,
- a luxury duplex in Maitama,
- Harmonia Hotels in Garki, and,
- several commercial and residential developments worth billions of naira.
The article provides the full schedule of the affected properties, detailing their locations, descriptions, and estimated values as contained in the court documents.
It also traces the case from the interim forfeiture order granted earlier in the year to the final judgment.
It highlights the EFCC’s argument that the assets were acquired with illicit funds and should permanently vest in the Federal Government.
According to the EFCC, the court held that the Commission successfully established that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were not acquired through lawful sources of income.
Silence from Malami
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the evidence presented by the anti-graft agency satisfied the legal requirements for the final forfeiture of the assets, paving the way for their transfer to the Federal Government.
The judgment marks a significant development in the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired through illicit means and reinforces the Commission’s anti-corruption drive.
Neither Abubakar Malami nor his legal representatives had publicly reacted to the court’s decision at the time of filing this report.
The forfeiture follows legal proceedings initiated by the EFCC, which argued that the properties were traceable to unlawful activities.
EFCC, therefore, insisted that the properties should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government in accordance with relevant laws.
The ruling represents one of the most significant asset forfeiture cases involving a former senior government official in recent years.
Read the full list of 57 properties initially attached to Malami below:
