The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties linked to former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, citing suspicions that the assets may be proceeds of unlawful activity.

The order was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex-parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. The properties, valued in the multi-billion-naira range, are located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states.

The court temporarily vests control of the assets in the Federal Government, pending further proceedings, and directed that the forfeiture order be published in a national newspaper to allow third parties to contest the action. Justice Nwite stated:

“It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby 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.”

Interested parties have 14 days from publication to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited. The case has been adjourned to later this month for the submission of a compliance report.

The properties include luxury hotels, duplexes, plazas, warehouses, shopping units, and residential estates, such as:

• A luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, purchased for N500 million in 2022 and valued at N5.95 billion after upgrades.
• A two-winged storey building on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, formerly Harmonia Hotels Limited, acquired in 2018 for N7 billion.
• A five-storey hotel in Jabi, operating as Meethaq Hotels Ltd, valued at N8.4 billion after completion.
• Additional properties in Asokoro, Gwarimpa, Apo Legislative Quarters, Wuse II, as well as assets in Kano, Kaduna, and Birnin Kebbi.

The interim forfeiture proceedings coincide with an ongoing criminal trial involving Mr. Malami, his wife Bashir Asabe, and son Abubakar Abdulaziz. They face N8.7 billion money laundering charges before Justice Nwite (Case No. FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025).

The EFCC alleges that between 2015 and 2025, during Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the family engaged in suspicious financial transactions, acquiring extensive property and using bank accounts to conceal the origin of funds, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 and 2022.

One allegation involves over N1 billion concealed in a Sterling Bank account by Malami and his son via Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited between July 2022 and June 2025.

The court’s interim order ensures the properties remain under government control unless successfully challenged before a final decision. Malami, who has denied wrongdoing, was granted N500 million bail on Wednesday.