The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered that 48 properties linked to the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, be taken over by the Federal Government.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had proven that the properties were likely bought with money from illegal activities.
The EFCC had filed the suit seeking to permanently take over 57 properties worth N212.8 billion alleged to be linked to Malami. Justice Abdulmalik said Malami failed to show that he acquired the properties through legal means.
Earlier, the judge dismissed several applications and motions filed to claim ownership of the properties by Malami, his family members, and some companies linked to the properties. She stated that the issue before the court was not “who owns the properties, but whether the money used to buy the properties was legitimately obtained.”
Justice Abdulmalik gave the order based on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
However, the judge also cancelled the earlier court order on nine other properties included in the EFCC’s application.
She said the anti-graft agency failed to prove that the nine properties located in Kebbi and Kaduna states were bought with illegal money.