Malami’s forfeited Kano residence empty, hotel still operates
A residential property in Kano linked to former AGF Abubakar Malami lies deserted after a court ordered its final forfeiture, but a hotel he also forfeited remains operational.
One of the houses in Kano State linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami now lies deserted following its forfeiture to the federal government, but a hotel he also forfeited remains operational. Judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court granted the forfeiture application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), holding that Malami and others laying claim to the assets failed to prove they lawfully acquired them.
The seized properties, worth ₦180.4 billion, include hotels, a university, malls, corporate entities and residential houses in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Birnin Kebbi. However, the judge released nine of the 57 assets the EFCC presented for final forfeiture, ruling that the commission did not convincingly prove they were illegitimately acquired. The EFCC instituted the forfeiture proceedings in January against assets worth more than ₦212 billion, alleging Malami acquired them with proceeds of unlawful activities while serving as AGF between 2015 and 2023.
In Kano, Zeenoor Hotels Ltd was bustling with activity when visited, but reception officials were unwilling to comment on the forfeiture order. A police officer at the hotel said: “I was briefed at the station about the final forfeiture of the hotel to the federal government, and I was told that they are coming any moment from now to take over the facility”. At No. 9 Ahmadu Bello Way, a residential property less than 200 metres from the Kano Government House, security personnel said the building had been deserted, with mobile police officers securing the facility.
This is one of the most significant asset forfeiture cases in Nigeria’s history. A former Attorney-General, the country’s chief law officer, is now linked to properties worth billions of naira. The fact that one of his hotels is still operating while a residential property lies deserted raises questions about the speed and effectiveness of the forfeiture process.
The winners: the EFCC, which has secured a significant forfeiture; and the Nigerian public, which may see some proceeds returned to the state. The losers: Malami and his family, who have lost assets; and the Nigerian government, which had a chief law officer now linked to proceeds of crime.
Bottom Line: A former Attorney-General’s Kano residence is empty, but his hotel still welcomes guests. The forfeiture order is clear. The enforcement is not.