Court adjourns ruling in EFCC’s bid to seize 57 Malami-linked properties

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned judgment in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
   
The anti-graft agency is asking the court to permanently forfeit the properties to the Federal Government, arguing they are suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
   
However, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who had fixed yesterday, July 6, 2026, for the ruling after parties adopted their final arguments in May, postponed the judgment to July 10, without giving any reason.
   
The EFCC counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), had maintained that Malami and other respondents failed to prove that the assets were lawfully acquired. Nevertheless, Malami’s lawyer, Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the EFCC’s case rests on mere suspicion rather than credible evidence.
 
He argued that the commission relied on extrajudicial statements rather than admissible evidence, stressing that several of the properties were acquired before Malami assumed office, rendering them unrelated to any alleged criminal proceeds.