The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and two of his sons, Abdulaziz Malami and Abiru-Rahman Malami, to the Federal Government.
The order was made on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN).
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who said the properties—valued at approximately ₦213.2 billion—are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
According to the commission, the assets are located across the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, and include hotels, university buildings, plazas, filling stations, warehouses, residential estates, shops, factories, and large parcels of land.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite ordered that all the properties listed in the schedule attached to the motion be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.
“It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below, which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities,” the judge ruled.
The court further directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper, inviting any interested individuals or entities to show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to January 27, 2026, for a report on compliance with the court’s directives.The EFCC disclosed that several of the properties are high-value real estate assets in prime locations within Abuja, including luxury residences, hotels, commercial buildings, warehouses, and retail outlets acquired between 2016 and 2024, with current valuations running into billions of naira.