The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 landed properties allegedly linked to the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, over suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Tuesday following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.
The properties, said to be worth several billions of naira, are located across the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna states, according to documents sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday.
In the ruling, the court held that the assets were “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities” and ordered their temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government pending the conclusion of investigations and trial.
Justice Nwite also directed that the forfeiture order be published in a national daily to invite any individual or organisation with an interest in the affected properties to appear before the court within 14 days and show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be made.
The judge adjourned the matter to January 27, 2026, for a report on compliance with the court’s directives.
Among the assets listed in the schedule are luxury duplexes and hotels in Maitama, Asokoro, Jabi and Garki areas of Abuja; shopping complexes and warehouse facilities in Wuse and Apo; residential properties in Kano and Kaduna; as well as expansive parcels of land and commercial facilities in Birnin Kebbi.
Some of the properties were reportedly acquired between 2016 and 2024, with individual values running into several billions of naira after renovations and upgrades.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Malami, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, are currently standing trial before the same court over alleged money laundering involving N8.7bn.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the EFCC accused the former minister and his co-defendants of conspiring to conceal the origin of funds, acquiring properties through proxies and retaining proceeds allegedly derived from unlawful activities.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, a period that spans Malami’s eight-year tenure as Attorney-General under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the EFCC, the defendants violated provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022 by carrying out suspicious financial transactions through bank accounts and property acquisitions across multiple states.
The commission further alleged that over N1bn was concealed through a corporate account between 2022 and 2025, with the defendants knowingly attempting to disguise the illicit origin of the funds.
Malami and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges
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