Court Orders Final Forfeiture of Rayhaan University Assets Linked to Ex-AGF Malami

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of Rayhaan University and other assets linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to the Federal Government.

The judgment, delivered on Wednesday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which sought the permanent forfeiture of 48 properties allegedly acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

Among the assets covered by the order are Rayhaan University in Kebbi State, including its permanent site, temporary site, third campus, the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, and Rayhaan Radio located along the Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abdulmalik held that the EFCC had established that the properties were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and were not traced to lawful sources of income.

The court held that the Commission had “successfully established that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were not acquired from lawful sources of income.”

The court also ruled that the respondents failed to provide sufficient evidence showing the legitimate sources of funds used to acquire the properties, noting that merely claiming ownership was not enough in non-conviction-based forfeiture proceedings.

The EFCC had initially secured an interim forfeiture order on January 6, 2026, before Justice Emeka Nwite. Following the publication of the interim order, Malami and 14 other respondents challenged the application and urged the court to set aside the order.

However, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed the objections and granted the EFCC’s application for the final forfeiture of the university assets and 47 other properties to the Federal Government.