EFCC Seeks Permanent Forfeiture of 57 Properties Linked to Ex-AG Malami

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to order the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at billions of naira, which it alleges are linked to Abubakar Malami, Nigeria's former Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023. The motion, filed under a non-conviction-based asset recovery process, argues that the assets represent proceeds of unlawful activities and that respondents have failed to provide evidence to challenge an earlier interim forfeiture order.

The properties, spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, include land parcels, buildings, and sites associated with Rayhaan University in Kebbi. They are registered under Malami's name, those of family members such as Hajia Bashir Asabe and Abiru Rahman Abubakar Malami, or companies including Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Ltd, Mountain View Gold and Jewellery Ltd, and others tied to the Rayhaan Group. EFCC investigators, led by officer Daniel Adebayo, detailed in a supporting affidavit that the commission received multiple petitions accusing Malami of corruption, abuse of office, and fraud during his tenure.

Investigations involved reviewing...