Court orders final forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly linked to ex-AGF Abubakar Malami in a money laundering case. The development has sparked fresh reactions,
With many recalling the individuals whose assets were forfeited during Malami’s tenure as Attorney General (2015–2023).
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, who is facing money laundering charges.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, held that the properties, allegedly acquired with proceeds of crime, should be permanently seized by the federal government.
It held that Malami, who served as Justice Minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, failed to rebut the reasonable suspicion that the properties were acquired through unlawful activities.
The court dismissed contentions that some of the affected properties belonged to the larger Malami family in Kebbi State.
According to the court, the legal issue was not “who owns the property, but how legitimate were the funds used to acquire them.”
Justice Abdulmalik held that Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act empowered the court to order the final forfeiture of illicitly acquired assets to the government.
The judgment followed an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Meanwhile, let views those malamimoreder thei forfiture of their properties while he was in office.
| Individual | Position | Date | Assets | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diezani Alison-Madueke | Former Minister of Petroleum Resources | 2017–2022 | 56 houses, luxury vehicles, Abuja mansions, cash | Court-ordered forfeiture over alleged proceeds of corruption and money laundering. |
| Abdulrasheed Maina | Former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team | 2019 (interim) | 23 properties | Alleged proceeds of pension fraud. |
| James Ibori | Former Governor of Delta State | 2021 | £4.2 million recovered from the UK | Repatriation of assets linked to corruption convictions abroad. |
| Sani Abacha estate | Former Head of State | 2017 & 2020 | Hundreds of millions of US dollars recovered from Switzerland, the U.S., and Jersey | Recovery of funds determined to be proceeds of corruption. |
| Kola Aluko | Businessman | 2017–2023 | Luxury real estate, yachts and other assets in Nigeria and abroad | Assets linked to investigations into alleged oil sector corruption. |
| Jide Omokore | Businessman | 2017–2023 | Various assets targeted for forfeiture | Alleged links to oil-related corruption investigations. |
Abubakar Malami’s own forfeiture case
In 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja reportedly ordered the interim forfeiture of several properties allegedly linked to former Attorney General Abubakar Malami following an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The order was interim, meaning the court directed that the assets be temporarily forfeited pending further proceedings, while interested parties were given an opportunity to show why the assets should not be permanently forfeited. Malami has denied wrongdoing and is entitled to challenge the allegations in court.
Opinion
Nigeria’s anti-corruption story has become a repeating cycle. One administration investigates officials from a previous government, courts order the forfeiture of properties allegedly acquired through corruption, and years later, some of those who led the fight against corruption from the administration before them fail the same test and find themselves facing similar investigations.
From former governors and ministers to politically exposed persons, the list continues to grow. Today, former public officials lose properties through court-ordered forfeitures; tomorrow, those who prosecuted them may also face investigations.
Unless Nigeria builds stronger institutions, greater transparency, effective accountability, and ensures that public resources are used to create jobs, improve education, healthcare, infrastructure, and opportunities for citizens to live better, this cycle may continue.
The lesson is not that every accused person is guilty—courts must determine that based on evidence. Rather, it is that no public office should become an avenue for personal enrichment. Public funds belong to all Nigerians. Until leaders consistently place national development above personal wealth, asset recovery and forfeiture proceedings are likely to remain a recurring feature of Nigeria’s political and legal landscape.
