Abuja Court Delays Malami Property Forfeiture to July 10

A Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed its judgment in a high-profile forfeiture case involving 57 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami. The ruling, which was scheduled for Monday, July 6, will now be delivered on Friday, July 10. No reason was provided for the adjournment.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is seeking a final court order to permanently forfeit the properties to the federal government. The agency alleges the assets, which include luxury residential and commercial buildings in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, are proceeds of unlawful activities. The court had previously issued an interim forfeiture order for the properties in early January.

During the last hearing on May 26, the prosecution and defense presented their final arguments. EFCC counsel Jibrin Okutepa urged the court to grant the application, arguing that Malami and other respondents had failed to demonstrate the properties were acquired legitimately. The commission's motion, filed in February, was supported by a 47-paragraph affidavit and 46 exhibits.

Opposing the application, Malami's lawyer, Adedayo Adedeji, asked the court to...