Court Fixes July 10 For Judgement On 57 Property Linked To Malami

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned to July 10, 2026, for judgment in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) suit seeking the final forfeiture of 57 property linked to former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami.

The court fixed the date after the parties adopted their final arguments.

In the suit, the anti-graft agency asked the court to permanently forfeit the property to the federal government because the houses and other assets are proceeds of fraud.

The EFCC’s counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) maintained that Malami and other respondents failed to prove that the assets were lawfully acquired.

In his submission, Malami’s lawyer, Adedayo Adedeji (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting 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 and stressed that several of the property were acquired before Malami assumed office, rendering them unrelated to any alleged criminal proceeds.

Other lawyers representing individuals and companies listed in the suit also asked the court to reject the forfeiture request.