Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 48 Properties Linked to Former AG Malami
A federal court has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney General Malami following an EFCC application, ruling the assets were acquired through unlawful means.
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A federal court has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney General of the Federation Malami. The ruling, delivered by Judge Abdulmalik, grants the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) application for forfeiture, concluding a legal process initiated over allegations of illicit asset acquisition.
The court held that the respondents failed to rebut reasonable suspicion that the properties were acquired through unlawful activities. Judge Abdulmalik emphasized that the central issue was not ownership of the properties but the legitimacy of the funds used to acquire them. "The issue before the court was not 'who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the properties,'" the judge ruled, according to Premium Times.
The EFCC had pursued the forfeiture under civil asset recovery proceedings, citing evidence of financial impropriety. The commission secured the final forfeiture after the respondents, including Malami, did not provide sufficient counterevidence to challenge the agency's claims. The properties, numbering 48, were identified in the commission’s application as proceeds of unlawful enrichment.
Channels Television reported the court's decision followed sustained legal scrutiny, with the judge affirming the state's right to reclaim assets suspected of being derived from corruption or other financial crimes. The judgment marks a significant development in Nigeria’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts, particularly in the use of civil forfeiture mechanisms to recover suspected illicit assets.