Malami appeals Nigerian court order seizing 48 linked properties

Former Nigerian attorney general Abubakar Malami is taking a sweeping asset-forfeiture order to the Court of Appeal, extending a legal fight over dozens of properties linked to him. Speaking through media aide Bello Doka, Malami said he “respectfully disagrees” with parts of the Federal High Court ruling and has directed his lawyers to challenge it immediately.thenationonlineng

The appeal follows a Federal High Court decision in Abuja ordering the final forfeiture of 48 properties to the federal government. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s request after finding that Malami and other respondents did not prove the assets were lawfully acquired.premiumtimesng

At the center of the ruling was the source of funds, not formal ownership. Abdulmalik held that the respondents failed to rebut the EFCC’s reasonable suspicion that the properties came from unlawful activity, a civil-forfeiture standard that does not require prosecutors to prove a criminal case beyond reasonable doubt.icirnigeria

The EFCC had sought permanent forfeiture of 57 properties valued at about ₦212.8 billion, while the court released nine assets after finding the agency had not made the required link. Premium Times calculated the 48 forfeited properties at about ₦180.4 billion and reported that they include hotels, a university, malls, corporate entities and residences across Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi.premiumtimesng

The Boss published a list that included Rayhaan University sites, Meethaq Hotels, Zeennoor Hotel assets, an agro-allied factory, filling-station structures, plazas and homes. The range of assets helps explain why the case has drawn attention beyond the courtroom.thebossnewspapers

Malami’s camp is trying to keep the ruling from hardening into a political verdict. Doka urged the public and the media not to draw conclusions while the case continues, and said the development would not distract Malami from public service or his political ambitions in Kebbi State.thenationonlineng Ripples Nigeria listed the planned appeal among Saturday’s leading national stories.ripplesnigeria