Malami asset forfeiture challenge – Former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has challenged interim forfeiture of multiple properties linked to him case publicly.
He insists however that he acquired all assets through legitimate means in Nigeria and maintains full compliance with law records.
In documents filed at Federal High Court in Abuja Malami argued that listed properties do not represent proceeds of crime.
Earlier Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC secured interim forfeiture order covering 57 properties linked to Malami family associates members.
The agency claimed however that assets located in Abuja Kebbi Kano and Kaduna states may represent proceeds of unlawful activities.
In response Malami strongly disputed this claim immediately and rejected EFCC allegations entirely in court filings official statement court documents.
He said I declared all aforementioned properties and my interests in respective companies in my asset declaration forms he told court officially.
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Malami added I have never acquired property through unlawful means and every asset came from verifiable legitimate income sources he stated.
Furthermore Malami accused EFCC of inflating asset values significantly to influence public perception of ownership dispute legal proceeding outcome case.
According to him the commission exaggerated property worth to strengthen its case during ongoing legal proceedings in court review process.
For instance EFCC valued Maitama duplex purchased for N500 million at N5.95 billion significantly above market estimate valuation report.
Similarly it assessed Rayhaan University site acquired for N150 million at N56 billion valuation discrepancy raised concerns public debate analysis.
He said interim forfeiture order resulted from manifest exaggeration malicious inflation of asset values and unreasonable valuation according court filing.
In addition Malami alleged EFCC operatives acted unlawfully when they took possession of some properties prematurely during enforcement actions.
Consequently officials evicted family members and seized personal documents and belongings before final order issuance process completed legally procedurally done.
He described these actions as extrajudicial and inconsistent with due process and constitutional protections in Nigeria system framework law principles.
Moreover he said they violated his constitutional rights to property fair hearing and presumption of innocence under law system provisions.
Meanwhile EFCC spokesperson defended the action and stated we acted within the law to preserve suspected proceeds of crime.
The spokesperson added court approval guided our interim forfeiture process and we will fully defend our position in court proceedings.
Legal analysts say the case may test EFCC asset recovery powers significantly under current Nigerian legal framework system review.
In particular it may clarify limits of interim forfeiture orders under Nigerian law and judicial interpretation standards in practice usage.
Therefore Malami is asking the court to set aside the interim forfeiture order immediately through judicial review process application filed.
He also seeks an order restraining EFCC from further interference until substantive case is decided finally in court proceedings.
Ultimately the court will decide whether to permanently forfeit the assets to the Federal Government or return them to Malami.
Notably this legal battle comes as Malami faces separate criminal allegations including money laundering and terrorism financing cases currently ongoing.
He has denied all allegations and maintains full innocence throughout investigations and public legal proceedings consistently in official statements issued.
Malami further stated this case is politically motivated and I remain confident that the judiciary will uphold justice fairly.
As the case progresses its outcome could shape future forfeiture proceedings in Nigeria significantly nationwide legal reforms policy direction framework.
Keyphrase: Malami asset forfeiture challenge.
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