Ex-AGF Malami Tells Court He Earned N10bn from Businesses, Gifts.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline, February 3, 2026.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to vacate an interim order authorising the seizure of 57 properties allegedly linked to him, insisting that the assets were acquired from legitimate income and not proceeds of crime.
In a motion filed before the court, Malami—through his counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN)—disclosed that he earned a cumulative sum running into billions of naira from salaries, private businesses, disposed assets, loans to businesses, book proceeds, and what he described as traditional gifts from personal friends.
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According to documents placed before the court, Malami declared these income streams in his asset declaration filed with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), as required by law. The declaration details earnings of N374,630,900 from salaries, estacodes, severance allowances, and other official emoluments accrued during his years in public service. He also reported N574,073,000 as income generated from the disposal of assets.
A substantial portion of the declared wealth, the motion states, came from private enterprise. Malami told the court that his businesses recorded a turnover of N10,017,382,684, while an additional N2,522,000,000 was extended as loans to various business concerns. He further declared N958,000,000 as traditional gifts received from personal friends, a practice his legal team argues is culturally recognised and not prohibited under Nigerian law.
The asset declaration also lists N509,880,000 realised from the launch and public presentation of his book, “Contemporary Issues on Nigerian Law and Practice,” which was unveiled during his tenure as Attorney-General and attracted contributions from legal practitioners, associates, and members of the public.
Malami’s application challenges the interim forfeiture order earlier secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which authorised the temporary seizure of 57 properties pending the conclusion of investigations. The anti-graft agency had told the court that the properties were acquired with suspicious wealth and were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
However, Malami maintains that the EFCC acted on conjecture and failed to establish a prima facie link between the properties and any criminal conduct. His counsel argued that the interim order was obtained ex parte without affording him the opportunity to respond, and that the continued seizure of the properties amounts to a violation of his constitutional right to fair hearing and property ownership.
“The properties were acquired over time from clearly identifiable and lawful sources of income, all of which were duly declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau,” the motion contends, urging the court to set aside the seizure order in the interest of justice.
The case has attracted significant public attention, given Malami’s prominent role in the previous administration and his position as the nation’s chief law officer at the time many of the assets were allegedly acquired. Legal observers say the matter could further test the boundaries between asset forfeiture proceedings and the constitutional safeguards available to public officials under investigation.
The Federal High Court is expected to rule on Malami’s application to vacate the interim order after hearing arguments from both parties. Until then, the seized properties remain under the custody of the authorities, pending further judicial direction.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, FEBRUARY 3RD 2026)
