A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted an interim order for the forfeiture of 57 landed properties valued at about N213.23 billion, which are alleged to be proceeds of unlawful activities and are reportedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, and two of his sons.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, following an ex parte motion brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the application was moved by the commission’s counsel, Mr Ekele Iheanacho.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite directed that the listed properties be placed under interim forfeiture to the Nigerian government pending the outcome of further proceedings on the legitimacy of their ownership and funding sources.
“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,” the court declared.
The judge also instructed that notice of the interim forfeiture be published in a national newspaper, calling on any interested party to appear before the court within 14 days to show cause why the order should not be made absolute.
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The matter was adjourned to January 27, 2026, for a report on compliance with the publication directive.
According to the EFCC, the properties span several locations across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states and comprise a wide range of premium real estate and commercial investments allegedly acquired with questionable funds.
Assets listed in the schedule include: luxury residences, hotels, schools, shopping complexes, fuel stations, warehouses, farmlands and estate developments.
Notable among them are a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, reportedly bought in December 2022 for N500 million and now valued at about N5.95 billion; a twin-wing storey building on Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, formerly known as Harmonia Hotels Limited, allegedly acquired in December 2018 for N7 billion; and a five-storey hotel at Plot 683, Jabi District, currently operating as Meethaq Hotels Limited with 53 rooms and valued at N8.4 billion.
Other affected properties are located in Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse II, Gwarimpa and Apo Legislative Quarters in Abuja, including several hotels, terraces, shops, warehouses and residential developments.
In Kano, the listed assets include properties in Nasarawa GRA and Lamido Crescent, while in Kebbi State, more than 100 hectares of land along the Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road, as well as residential buildings and estate projects, were identified. A four-bedroom bungalow with boys’ quarters in Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, was also included.
The EFCC further alleged that some of the properties were acquired through companies and initiatives associated with the Malami family, including schools, agro-allied ventures and other development projects.
The interim forfeiture order comes against the backdrop of an ongoing criminal trial involving the former Attorney-General, his wife, Ms Bashir Asabe, and one of his sons, Mr Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, who are currently before Justice Nwite on allegations of laundering about ₦8.7 billion.
The EFCC stated that the interim forfeiture formed part of its broader efforts to trace and recover assets suspected to have been derived from corruption and economic crimes.
It stressed, however, that the order did not represent a final pronouncement on ownership, as interested parties still had the legal right to challenge the forfeiture within the stipulated timeframe.
Malami, along with his son and wife, is facing a 16-count charge alleging they conspired to launder proceeds of unlawful activities. The counts allege that they used corporate entities and bank accounts to conceal the origin of large sums of money they allegedly knew or ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activity, contrary to Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
Mr Malami was granted bail in the sum of N500 million pending his trial in the N9 million money laundering offences brought against him by the federal government.
