The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified its legal battle to permanently seize 57 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, telling a Federal High Court in Abuja that the assets are suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.

In a motion on notice, the anti-graft agency argued that those listed in the suit failed to justify why an earlier interim forfeiture order granted by the court should be overturned.

Among the respondents are the ex-minister, his son Abdulaziz, his wife Hajia Bashir Asabe, and Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami, alongside several firms and entities allegedly linked to the assets.

The EFCC maintained that the application falls under a non-conviction-based forfeiture process, insisting that the court is empowered by law to grant final forfeiture of properties reasonably believed to have been acquired through illicit means.

The commission noted that after the interim forfeiture order was issued and published in a national newspaper on January 9, “no sufficient cause has been shown why the properties, under the interim forfeiture order, should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria”.

READ ALSO: EFCC Moves to Enforce Forfeiture of Malami’s Abuja Residence

Detailing its investigation, the EFCC said it acted on multiple petitions accusing the former minister of corruption, abuse of office, and fraud, prompting a wide-ranging probe into his financial activities during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.

According to the agency, its investigators obtained financial records from commercial banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and also engaged institutions including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS).

The probe further extended to state land registries in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Kano, as well as tax authorities and the National Universities Commission (NUC), with physical inspections and valuation of the identified properties also carried out.

In a sworn affidavit before the court, the EFCC outlined the former minister’s legitimate earnings while in office, arguing that they were not commensurate with the scale of assets traced to him.

“I know as a fact and verily believe the findings of the investigation, which are as follows:

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It said: “Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) was the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, hereinafter referred to as HAGF, from 2015 to 2023.

“He was paid a total of N89,664,000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, whilst in office, with an average payment of N962,663.68 per month.

“He also received a severance allowance of N12,158,400.00 at the end of his tenure in office.

“Mr. Malami (SAN) was also paid estacodes allowances to cover his travel expenses whenever he travelled outside the country on official trips.

“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253,608,500.00 as the amount he received for the official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter written to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to his Assets Declaration Form in June 2023.

“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibit EFCC 2 & 3 are copies of the asset declaration forms filled out by Mr. Malami (SAN) from 2015 to 2023, together with a letter dated 16th of June, 2023 written by him to the Chairman of the CCB as addendum to the assets declaration form as found at his house during EFCC’s execution of search warrant.

“Aside the actual acquisition of the properties which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr. Malami (SAN‘s) known and lawful sources of income, no building permits/approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained to erect most of the various structures in Kano and Kebbi States as part of a scheme to disguise unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”

The EFCC further alleged that some of the properties were acquired through proxies and corporate entities linked to the former minister, including those associated with the Rayhaan Group.

The assets listed in court filings are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, with some tied to educational and hospitality ventures, including sites linked to Rayhaan University in Kebbi.

Justice Abdulmalik has fixed April 21 for the hearing of the EFCC’s motion seeking final forfeiture of the properties.