The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of more than 40 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in a ruling delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

The court granted an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), holding that the respondents failed to dispel reasonable suspicions that the properties were acquired through unlawful means.

In her judgment, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several motions and applications filed by Malami, members of his family, and companies connected to the properties, describing the applications as lacking merit.

The judge emphasized that the central issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but the legitimacy of the funds used to acquire them.

“The issue is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties,” the court held.

Justice Abdulmalik relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act in granting the final forfeiture order.

However, the court set aside the interim forfeiture order previously granted in respect of some of the properties.

The EFCC had commenced the civil forfeiture proceedings in January, seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at more than ₦212 billion. The anti-graft agency alleged that the assets were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former Attorney General.

The ruling marks a significant development in the EFCC’s efforts to recover assets suspected to have been acquired through illicit means.