Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of 48 Properties Worth N212bn Linked To Malami

By NewsTrends.ng Reporter

ABUJA – The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Government.

The properties, initially valued at approximately ₦212.8 billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are among 57 assets allegedly acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities during Malami’s tenure in office between 2015 and 2023.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture after dismissing objections filed by Malami, members of his family and several companies claiming ownership of the properties.

The judge held that the respondents failed to provide sufficient evidence to establish that the disputed assets were acquired through legitimate sources of income.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik emphasised that the central issue before the court was not necessarily who owned the properties but the legitimacy of the funds used to acquire them.

She reportedly stated that the respondents had failed to dislodge the reasonable suspicion that the properties were acquired through unlawful activities.

The properties are located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states and comprise luxury hotels, duplexes, residential estates, shopping plazas, warehouses, educational institutions and industrial facilities.

Malami’s Family, Companies Lose Court Battle

The forfeiture proceedings followed an investigation by the EFCC, which identified 57 properties allegedly linked to the former minister.

Following an interim forfeiture order granted by the Federal High Court on January 16, 2026, Malami, his wife, children and several companies associated with the assets approached the court to challenge the action.

They urged the court to set aside the interim order, maintaining that the properties were lawfully acquired and that the EFCC had failed to establish any connection between the assets and unlawful activities.

However, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed their objections, describing the applications as lacking merit.

The judge maintained that the anti-graft agency had satisfied the legal requirement of establishing reasonable suspicion that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities.

She relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act in granting the final forfeiture order.

Court Spares Nine Properties

Although the EFCC sought the final forfeiture of all 57 properties, the court excluded nine assets after finding that the commission had not sufficiently established their connection with unlawful activities.

Among the properties excluded were Rayhaan Model Academy, Rayhaan Primary and Secondary School, the Malami Support Organisation Building and some residential properties in Kebbi State.

The judge held that the evidence presented by the EFCC was insufficient to justify the permanent forfeiture of those particular assets.

Consequently, 48 properties were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government, while nine were spared.

Properties Include University, Hotels, Factory

Some of the prominent properties affected by the order include Rayhaan University campuses in Kebbi State, Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory, Meethaq Hotels in Abuja, Azbir Hotel and Arena, and Zeennoor Hotel in Kano.

Others include residential buildings, commercial plazas, warehouses, shopping units, filling stations and other business establishments.

The assets are spread across different locations in the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states.

While the EFCC initially valued the 57 properties at approximately ₦212.8 billion, Premium Times’ calculation of the values attached to the 48 properties covered by the final order put their combined worth at about ₦180.4 billion.

The nine properties excluded from forfeiture were valued at approximately ₦28.7 billion.

Court Examines Malami’s Earnings

During the proceedings, the court also considered evidence relating to Malami’s earnings while serving as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

Justice Abdulmalik reportedly observed that Malami earned approximately ₦89.7 million in salary during his ministerial tenure and received about ₦12.16 million as severance allowance.

The judge also examined an addendum to his asset declaration in which he reportedly declared official earnings of approximately ₦253.6 million.

The court considered the figures alongside the value of the properties and the explanations offered by the respondents concerning their acquisition.

The respondents had also questioned aspects of the EFCC’s valuation reports, but the judge rejected their objections.

Forfeiture Does Not Amount To Criminal Conviction

The forfeiture order was made under a civil asset recovery process that does not require a prior criminal conviction.

The judge maintained that proceedings under the relevant provision of the law focus on the properties and whether they are reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities.

The forfeiture order is separate from the criminal money-laundering proceedings involving Malami and members of his family.

The former minister has consistently challenged the allegations against him.

The EFCC’s action forms part of its efforts to recover assets suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.

Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of 48 Properties Worth N212bn Linked To Malami

Two Arrested as Police Recover ₦600,000, Nine Phones in Kano Robbery

The Kano State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers allegedly involved in a robbery operation at Falgore Forest in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state, recovering ₦600,000, nine mobile phones and other items.

The suspects were identified as Sulaiman Alhaji Umaru, 35, from Damau Village in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and Abubakar Sale, 22, from Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

According to the police, operatives attached to the Doguwa Division arrested the suspects on November 6 at about 5pm at Dogon Dutse, within Falgore Forest, following what the command described as credible intelligence.

Items Recovered

Kiyawa said preliminary investigations indicated that one of the suspects, Umaru, confessed to conspiring with seven other people to rob a resident of Kubau, Kaduna State, identified as Adamu Sa’adu.

The gang allegedly dispossessed Sa’adu of ₦1.35 million and other valuables during the robbery in the Falgore Forest area.

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The police spokesperson said a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of ₦600,000 in cash, nine mobile phones of different makes, knives and sticks.

The recovered cash represents part of the ₦1.35 million allegedly stolen during the incident, while the police did not provide further details about the ownership of all the recovered phones and other items.

The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the officers involved in the operation, praising their professionalism and dedication.

Bakori attributed the arrests to credible intelligence, prompt response and cooperation from members of the community.

He said the operation was in line with the policing priorities of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, which emphasise intelligence-led operations, community partnership, professionalism and respect for human rights.

The commissioner said efforts were being intensified to track down the remaining members of the suspected gang who were still at large.

He added that investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.

Bakori also urged residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information to support efforts to tackle criminal activities and protect lives and property across the state.

 

Two Arrested as Police Recover ₦600,000, Nine Phones in Kano Robbery

‘Her Death Must Not Be in Vain’: Lagos Mother Demands Justice for Toddler Killed by Police Bullet

A grieving mother, Bintu Omole, has demanded justice over the death of her 20-month-old daughter, Omole Taiwo, popularly known as Tayelolu, who was killed by a bullet discharged by a police officer during an operation in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State.

The mother accused the police of causing her family unbearable pain, insisting that the officer involved must not escape punishment if found responsible for her daughter’s death.

Taiwo died after being struck by a bullet during a police operation in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Another young girl was also hit during the incident but survived and is receiving medical attention.

Speaking in a video interview published by News Central on Tuesday, November 10, Bintu recounted how the shooting happened, disputing the police account of the circumstances that led to the operation.

She said she was sitting with other people inside a shop when they heard the siren of a police vehicle approaching.

According to her, the vehicle suddenly sped into their neighbourhood before an officer brought out his firearm and fired in their direction.

“I just kept hearing the siren from the police vehicle. We were seated in our shop and were not bothered because we were not on the main road.

“Then we noticed the police vehicle speeding into our area. An officer brought out his gun from the vehicle and fired in our direction. I initially thought they had fired tear gas,” she narrated.

The bereaved mother also disclosed that Taiwo had a twin sister, Kehinde, who died shortly after their birth.

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Recalling the difficulties she endured during pregnancy and the loss of her first child, Bintu described Taiwo’s death as another devastating experience for the family.

“My daughter has a twin, but we lost the twin (Kehinde) shortly after their birth. The pain I went through during pregnancy was not easy,” she said.

Demanding accountability, she appealed to the authorities not to allow the police officer involved to escape justice.

“The police in Ajeromi have made me cry.

“I don’t want the police officer involved to go unpunished. May God arise and fight for Tayelolu. Her death must not be in vain,” she pleaded.

Taiwo’s father, Femi Omole, also challenged the police explanation that officers were responding to a violent confrontation between rival groups when the shooting occurred.

He insisted that there was no fight in Nosamu on the night his daughter was shot.

“No, there was no fight in Nosamu on that day. Even when there was a fight (in previous times), the police don’t go there to shoot,” he said.

Another relative of the injured girl, Sekinat Abolarin, also questioned the police account, insisting that there was no confrontation in the area at the time.

She identified the surviving child as her younger sibling’s daughter and confirmed that the girl was receiving treatment at a general hospital.

“There was no fight at all. If there had been any fight, we would have taken our children away from the shop,” she said.

However, the Lagos State Police Command maintained that its officers were responding to a distress call over a clash between two rival groups identified as the Nosamu Boys and the Alayabiagba Boys.

According to the police, the groups were involved in a confrontation over toll collection and were allegedly armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons when officers arrived.

In a statement issued by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the incident occurred between 9.30pm and 10pm on November 5.

The police identified the officer involved as Assistant Superintendent of Police Omotayo Olajide, who reportedly discharged his firearm during the operation, hitting the two girls.

Both victims were initially rushed to Ajeromi General Hospital for emergency treatment. Taiwo was subsequently transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where she died from her injuries.

The surviving girl remained under medical care and was reported to be in stable condition.

Following the shooting, the police disarmed and detained Olajide pending investigation.

The case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Fatai, also visited the bereaved family on Saturday, November 7, to express his condolences and assure them that justice would be served.

Fatai pledged that no officer found culpable would be shielded from accountability.

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of civilians, particularly children, during police operations in densely populated residential communities.

While the police maintain that officers were responding to a violent clash, the victim’s family disputes that account, making the investigation critical in establishing what happened and whether the officer’s use of a firearm was justified.

For Bintu and her family, however, the immediate demand remains justice for Tayelolu and accountability for the circumstances that led to her death.

‘Her Death Must Not Be in Vain’: Lagos Mother Demands Justice for Toddler Killed by Police Bullet