Governorship Candidate
OpenLife Nigeria reports that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 property linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.
Malami is the 2027 governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kebbi State.
In a judgment delivered in Abuja on Wednesday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had established the reasonable suspicion required by law to justify the forfeiture of the assets.
The judge ruled that Malami, his family members and companies linked to the properties failed to dislodge the commission’s allegation that the assets were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Before delivering the substantive judgment, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed several applications, motions on notice and applications to show cause filed by the respondents, describing them as “wanting in merit.”
She held that the issue before the court was not the ownership of the properties but the legitimacy of the funds used to acquire them.
“The issue before the court is not who owns the property, but how legitimate are the funds used to acquire the property,” the judge said.
She added that the respondents had “not dislodged the reasonable suspicion that the property was acquired by unlawful activities.”
Relying on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, Justice Abdulmalik granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture.
The court, however, discharged the interim forfeiture order in respect of some of the property.
The anti-graft agency had, in January, instituted civil forfeiture proceedings seeking the permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at N212.8 billion, alleging that they were proceeds of unlawful activities linked to the former AGF.
On January 16, vacation judge Justice Emeka Nwite granted an interim forfeiture order over the property and directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to enable interested persons to appear before the court and show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The properties are located in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi and Kaduna states.
Following the publication, Malami, his wife, Nana Hadiza Malami; his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami; and several companies linked to the assets challenged the interim forfeiture order.
They argued that the property were lawfully acquired and contended that the EFCC failed to establish any nexus between the assets and the alleged unlawful activities.
The respondents further maintained that the commission relied on speculation rather than credible evidence and neither proved that the property were proceeds of crime nor identified any specific criminal offence from which they were allegedly derived.
After the court resumed from its annual vacation, the case was reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik for hearing and determination.
At the hearing, counsel for the EFCC argued that investigations showed the property were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and held in the names of individuals and companies acting as fronts for Malami.
The commission also submitted that, under the law governing civil forfeiture proceedings, it only needed to establish reasonable suspicion and not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
After the parties adopted their final written addresses in May, the court reserved judgment.
The judgment, initially fixed for July 6, was deferred twice before Justice Abdulmalik finally delivered the ruling on Wednesday.
The 57 properties, including hotels and luxury homes initially seized by the EFCC through an interim forfeiture order.
48 of them will be handed over to the federal government following today’s court ruling.
Full List
- Luxury Duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 Within Cadastral Zone, A06 Maitama; File No: AN enhancement 11352, which was purchased in December 2022 at N500, 000, 000.00 (value after enhancement at N5,950,000,000).
- Two Winged Large Storey Building Situate at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11,Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (formerly Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, which was purchased Dec. 2018 at N7,000,000,000.
- Plot 683, Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, Comprising of a five storey Building (Now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi with 53 rooms/suites), which was purchased in Sept. 2020 at carcass level at N850,000,000 with additional N300,000,000 to take possession (value after completion N8,400,000,000).
- Property No. 3130 within Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, FCT, Abuja, Comprising Terraces, purchased in January 2021 at N360,000,000.
- Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Limited, Maitama With 15 ROOMS), which was purchased in February 2018 at N430,000,000 (current value after rehabilitation is N12,950,000,000).
- Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (No. 11A Yakubu Gowon Crescent) AsokoroDistrict, which was purchased in July 2021 at N325,000,000.
- Shop No. C82 Citiscape — Shariff Plaza, Plot 739 Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse Il, FCT, Abuja, which was purchased in March 2024 at N120,000,000.
- No. 4 Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, which was purchased in December 2022 at N300,000,000.
- Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa, GRA, Kano, purchased in July 2019 with no specific amount stated.
- A Plaza, Commercial Toilets, Laundering, Warehouse Tanks Adjacent to Birnin Kebbi Market at N100 million.
- 100 Hectares of l;and Along Birnin Kebbi, Jega Road, which was purchased in 2020 at N100,000,000.
- Four Bedroom Bungalow Gesse Phase, Birnin Kebbi, which was purchased in 2023 at N101,000, 000.
- Shops Nos. A36, B3 Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja, which was purchased in July 2023 at N158,000,000.
- No. 26, Babbi Drive, Bua Estate, Abuja, purchased in 2022 at N136,000,000.
- No. 27, Efab Estates Avenue, 5th Avenue, 59th Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja, purchased in January 2016 at N120,000,000.
- Four Bedroom/ 2 Rooms Boys Quarters at No. 10B, Doka Crescent Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, purchased in January 2018 at N40, 000, 000.00.
- Plot No. 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, purchased in June 2018 at N85,000,000.
- A Bedroom Duplex & Boys Quarters at No. 12 Yalinga Street, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse Il, Abuja, purchased in Oct. 2018 at N150,000,000.
- Two Warehouse Shops B40 And B46, Wuse Market, Abuja, purchased in July 2020 at N50,000,000.
- Twin Houses at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, was purchased between February and May 2017 at N250,000,000.
Properties acquired by Khadimiyya for Justice & Development Initiative at the Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi, sold by the Federal Housing Authority Mortgage namely.
21, 22, and 23. Nine units of three bedroom, bungalow, three units of two bedroom bungalow, and 5.4 hectares of land, which were purchased between February 2023 and September 2023 at N187,000,000, among other assets listed in the schedule.
RAYHAAN UNIVERSITY, KEBBI STATE
- Rayhaan University Permanent Site -N56,000,000,000.00
- Rayhaan University Temporary Site -N37,800,000,000.00
- Rayhaan University Third Site – N2,450,000,000.00
- Rayhaan University Vice Chancellor – N490,000,000.0
RAYHAAN AGRO ALLIED FACTORY IN KEBBI STATE
- Factory Buildings -N4,200,000,000.00
- Factory Machines and Plants Units -N10,500,000,000.00
- Factory Mosque – N2,450,000,000.00
- Rayhaan Mill Staff Quarters – N1,487,500,000.00
- Rayhaan Bustan Building – N3,150,000,000.00
AZBIR ARENA KEBBI STATE
- Azbir Hotel – N10,325,000,000.00
- Printing Press – N1,050,000,000.00
- Gallery – N581,000,000.00
- Gardens – N392,000,000.00
- Mosque – N252,000,000.00
- Azbir Clothing – N350,000,000.00
- Azbir Pharmacy and Supermarket – N175,000,000.00
OTHER PROPERTIES HELD IN KEBBI STATE
- Al-Afiya Energy Tanker Garage opposite Rayhaan University Health Centre, along Sani Abacha Bypass Road, Birnin-Kebbi – N2,450,000,000.00
- Rayhaan Model Academy -N11,200,000,000.0
- Rayhaan Primary and Secondary School – N8,750,000,000.00
- Rayhaan Security House, off Sani Abacha Bypass, Birnin Kebbi – 245,700,000.00
- Rayhaan Radio along Sani Abacha, Bypass Road, Birnin, Kebbi – N78,750,000.00
- Uncompleted 2 Storey Complex Plaza located opposite Central Motor Park, (Eastern Park) Birnin Kebbi – N665,000,000.00
- Amasdul Oil and Gas Ltd filling station Structure along Sani Abacha Bypass, Road, Birnin Kebbi near Jambali Automobile Workshop, Birnin Kebbi – 1,050, 000,000.00
- Malami Support Organization Building – 210,000,000.00
- ADC Kadi Malami Foundation Building – N56,000,000.00
- Abubakar Malami SAN’s House GRA – N350,000,000.00
- Abubakar Malami SAN’s House Behind Mobil – N490,000,000.00
- Abdulaziz Malami (First Son’s House) at Gesse Phase II in Birnin Kebbi – N1,659,000,000.00
- Abiru-Rahman Abubakar Malami (Second Son’s House) at Gesse Phase II in Birnin-Kebbi – N2,989,000,000.00
PROPERTIES IN KANO
- Assets of Zeennoor Hotel at Kabuga Satellite Town, off Gwarzo Road, Kano with 131 rooms – N11,200,000,000.00
- Zeennoor Mosque at Kabuga, Satellite Town, off Gwarzo Road, Kano – N84,000,000.00
- Zeennor Old Hotel Building -N280,000,000.00
- Rayhaan Hotel, Kano Located at Plot 27/28 Opp-Aminu kano Teaching Hospital, Southern Kano (Land And Luxurious Building of more than 50 rooms, with appurtenances- N2,240,000,000.00
- Rayhaan Gym, Kano House Comprising of a Storey Building Opposite Rayhaan Hotel – N1,225,000,000.00
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