Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of 48 Properties Linked To Malami

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, after granting an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled on Wednesday that Malami and other claimants did not prove that the assets were lawfully acquired. The decision is a fresh turn in the long-running forfeiture case, after earlier judgment dates in the matter were adjourned. NaijaTrend reported one of those adjournments here.

The court dismissed several applications and objections filed by Malami, members of his family and companies linked to the properties before making the final order. The judge said the question before the court was not simply ownership, but whether the funds used to buy the properties were legitimate.

The EFCC had originally sought the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at about ₦212.8 billion. The court granted final forfeiture for 48 of them and vacated the interim order on some others.

The ruling is a civil forfeiture order and does not amount to a criminal conviction. Malami, his wife and son are separately facing charges over alleged illegitimate acquisition of funds with suspicious origins.

Sources: Premium Times, Channels TV, Daily Post