The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary seizure of 57 properties that are thought to be the result of illegal acts connected to Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former Minister of Justice, to the federal government.
According to NAN, Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, filed an ex parte motion.
The multi-billion naira properties are in the states of Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna.
Our reporter saw the certified true copy (CTC) of the order today, even though it was made yesterday.
The judge added, “It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honorable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below, which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
Justice Nwite also ordered that the interim order of forfeiture be published in any national daily newspaper, “inviting any person(s) or body (ies) who may have interest in the properties listed in the schedule to show cause, within 14 days of the publication, why a final order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of the said assets and properties, should not be made.”
The judge then put the case off until January 37 to get the report of compliance.
These are the assets:
Luxury Duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 Within Cadastral Zone, A06 Maitama; File No: AN enhancement 11352, which was bought in December 2022 for N500,000,000.00 (value after enhancement at N5,950,000,000);
A two-winged, large storey building at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (previously Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, was bought in December 2018 for N7, 000, 000, 000.00.
The five-story building on Plot 683 in Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, is now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi, with 53 rooms and suites. It was bought in September 2020 for N850,000,000.00 at carcass level, with an extra N300,000,000.00 to take possession (value after completion N8,400,000,000).
Property No. 3130 in Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, FCT, Abuja, has terraces and was bought in January 2021 for N360,000,000.00.
Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (MEETHAQ HOTELS LTD, MAITAMA WITH 15 ROOMS) was bought in February 2018 for N430,000,000.00. Its current valuation after repairs is N12,950,000,000.
**Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (NO. 11A YAKUBU GOWON CRESCENT) ASOKORO DISTRICT, which was bought in July 2021 for N325, 000, 000.00.
**SHOP NO. C82 CITISCAPE — SHARIFF PLAZA, PLOT 739 CADASTRAL ZONE A07, AMINU KANO CRESCENT, WUSE Il, FCT, ABUJA, which was bought in March 2024 for N120, 000, 000.00.
**NO. 4 AHMADU BELLO WAY, NASARAWA GRA, KANO, which was bought for N300,000,000.00 in December 2022.
**PLOT 157, LAMIDO CRESCENT, NASARAWA, GRA, KANO, was bought in July 2019, however the price was not given.
**A PLAZA, COMMERCIAL TOILETS, LAUNDERING, WAREHOUSE TANKS NEXT TO THE BIRNIN KEBBI MARKET, which was bought in 2021 for N100,000,000.00.
**100 HECTARES OF LAND ALONG BRININ KEBBI, JEGA ROAD, which was bought in 2020 for N100,000,000.00.
** 4-BEDROOM BUNGALOW GESSE PHASE, BIRNIN KEBBI, bought for N101,000,000.00 in 2023.
** SHOPS NOS. A36, B3 VEGAS MALL, WUSE 2, ABUJA, which was bought in July 2023 for N158, 000, 000.00.
**NO. 26, BABBI DRIVE, BUA ESTATE, ABUJA, bought for N136,000,000.00 in 2022.
**NO. 27, EFAB ESTATES AVENUE, 59™ CRESCENT, GWARIMPA, ABUJA, bought in January 2016 for N120,000,000.00.
**4 BEDROOMS AND 2 BOYS QUARTERS AT NO. 10B, DOKA CRESCENT ABAKPA GRA, KADUNA, bought in January 2018 for N40,000,000.00.
**PLOT NO. 13, IPENT 7 ESTATE, KARSANA DISTRICT, ABUJA, bought in June 2018 for N85,000,000.00.
**A BEDROOM DUPLEX AND BOYS QUARTERS AT NO. 12 YALINGA STREET, OFF ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA CRESCENT, WUSE II, ABUJA, bought for N150,000,000.00 in October 2018.
**Two warehouse shops, B40 and B46, in Wuse Market, Abuja, were bought for N50,000,000.00 in July 2020.
**TWIN HOUSES AT ZONE E, APO LEGISLATIVE QUARTERS, CADASTRAL ZONE B01, PLOT 14014, GUDU DISTRICT, ABUJA, it was bought for N250,000,000.00 between February and May 2017.
**The Federal Housing Authority Mortgage offered properties to Khadimiyya for Justice & Development Initiative at the Academic Garden City in Birnin Kebbi.
Others are nine three-bedroom bungalows, three two-bedroom bungalows, and 5.4 hectares of land, which were bought for N187,000,000.00 between February 2023 and September 2023. These are just some of the properties stated in the schedule.
Justice Nwite is currently hearing a case against Malami, his wife Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz for allegedly laundering N8.7 billion.
The EFCC designated the ex-minister, Asabe, his wife, and an employee of a company connected to the former minister, Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd., as the first, second, and third defendants in the case dated FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025.
The anti-corruption agency charged the defendants with 16 charges of doing a number of shady deals and trying to hide the illegal source of billions of naira by using bank accounts and buying property in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi.
They are said to have committed the crimes between 2015 and 2025, which covers the eight years that Malami was the AGF under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Commission said that Malami, his son, and Asabe worked together to hide where the money came from, buy property indirectly, and keep money they knew was from illegal activity, which is against the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022.
In the first count, the EFCC said that Malami and his son told Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide more than one billion Naira in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025, knowing that the money was from illegal activity.
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