Abuja — Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to vacate an interim forfeiture order placed on three properties by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami is challenging the anti-graft agency over properties listed as Nos. 9, 18 and 48 among the 57 assets temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government following an ex-parte application granted on January 6, 2026.
The disputed properties include Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, acquired on July 31, 2019; a four-bedroom duplex with boys’ quarters at No. 12, Yalinga Street, Wuse II, Abuja, purchased in October 2018 for ₦150 million; and the ADC Kadi Malami Foundation Building, reportedly acquired for ₦56 million.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as vacation judge, had ordered the interim forfeiture of the 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities allegedly linked to Malami. The order was granted following an ex-parte motion moved by EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, and the court directed the commission to publish the order in a national newspaper for interested parties to show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
However, in a motion on notice filed on his behalf by a legal team led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, Malami accused the EFCC of obtaining the interim order through suppression of material facts and misrepresentation.
The former AGF argued that the forfeiture proceedings violate his fundamental rights, including his right to property, presumption of innocence, and peaceful enjoyment of his family life. He urged the court to dismiss the suit to prevent what he described as conflicting outcomes and duplicative litigation.
Malami is seeking an order setting aside the interim forfeiture as it relates to the three properties, insisting they were fully declared in his asset declaration forms throughout his tenure as a public officer. He also asked the court to restrain the EFCC from interfering with his ownership, possession, and control of the properties pending the determination of the matter.
In a 14-point argument, Daudu contended that the EFCC failed to establish prima facie evidence linking the properties to any unlawful activity or specific offence. He disclosed that properties listed as Nos. 9 and 18 were declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in Malami’s asset declarations for 2019 and 2023, respectively.
According to the defence, property No. 48 is held in trust by Malami for the estate of his late father, Kadi Malami.
“These assets, their values, and their root of title have been clearly stated and demonstrated in the asset declaration forms spanning from 2019 to 2023,” Daudu told the court, adding that the declarations constitute prima facie evidence of lawful ownership.
The case is expected to continue as the court considers Malami’s application to discharge the interim forfeiture order.
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