The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled to permanently seize 48 properties connected to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, directing that they be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In a decision delivered on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik found that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had established enough reasonable suspicion to justify the asset forfeiture.
The judge noted that Malami, his relatives, and associated businesses failed to disprove the claim that these assets were acquired through unlawful means.
Prior to issuing the main ruling, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several applications and motions filed by the respondents, describing them as lacking merit.
“The core issue before the court is not ownership of the property, but the legitimacy of the funds used to acquire it,” the judge stated.
She further emphasized that the respondents had not refuted the reasonable suspicion that the properties were obtained through illegal activities.
The court approved the EFCC’s request for final forfeiture based on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act.
However, for some of the properties, the court lifted previous interim forfeiture orders. Earlier in January, the EFCC initiated civil proceedings seeking to permanently seize 57 properties valued at approximately N212.8 billion, alleging they were proceeds of illegal activities linked to Malami.
An interim forfeiture order was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite on January 16, prompting the EFCC to publish the order publicly, allowing interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
The respondents argued that the EFCC relied on speculation rather than solid evidence, failed to specify any criminal offense linked to the properties, and did not demonstrate that the assets were proceeds of crime.
Justice Abdulmalik was assigned the case after the court resumed from its annual vacation. During the hearing, EFCC’s lawyer claimed that investigations showed the properties were registered in the names of front persons and businesses acting as fronts for Malami, and that they were purchased with proceeds from illegal activities.
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