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Court orders interim forfeiture of N212bn properties allegedly linked to Malami, two sons

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A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities allegedly linked to Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.

The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, granted the order on Tuesday after an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho.

In the ruling, the judge held that the properties, which are worth several billions of naira, were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and should be temporarily forfeited to the federal government.

“It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below, which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities,” the judged ruled.

He also directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national daily newspaper, inviting any individual or organisation with an interest in the assets to appear before the court within 14 days and show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be made.

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Nwite adjourned the matter to January 27 for a report on compliance with the publication order.

Assets listed for interim forfeiture include: a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, acquired in December 2022 for N500 million and later enhanced to an estimated value of N5.95 billion.

A two-winged storey building at Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja — formerly Harmonia Hotels — purchased in December 2018 for N7 billion.

A five-storey building on Plot 683, Jabi District, Abuja, now operating as Meethaq Hotels with 53 rooms and suites, bought at carcass level in September 2020 for N850 million, with an additional N300 million paid to take possession. The property was valued at N8.4 billion after completion.

A terrace property at Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, Abuja, acquired in January 2021 for N360 million.

A hotel facility at Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja, operating as Meethaq Hotels with 15 rooms, purchased in February 2018 for N430 million and later rehabilitated to a current estimated value of N12.95 billion.

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A property on Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District, Abuja, purchased in July 2021 for N325 million.

A commercial shop at Citiscape–Shariff Plaza on Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, acquired in March 2024 for N120 million.

A residential property on Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, purchased in December 2022 for N300 million.

A property on Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, acquired in July 2019, with no purchase value stated in the court documents.

A commercial plaza with auxiliary facilities located near Birnin Kebbi Market, Kebbi state, bought in 2021 for N100 million.

A 100-hectare parcel of land along the Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road, acquired in 2020 for N100 million.

A four-bedroom bungalow in Gesse Phase, Birnin Kebbi, purchased in 2023 for N101 million.

Two commercial shops at Vegas Mall, Wuse II, Abuja, acquired in July 2023 for N158 million.

A residential property on Babbi Drive, BUA Estate, Abuja, purchased in 2022 for N136 million.

A house on EFAB Estates Avenue, Gwarimpa, Abuja, bought in January 2016 for N120 million.

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A four-bedroom bungalow with boys’ quarters at Doka Crescent, Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, acquired in January 2018 for N40 million.

A plot of land at Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, purchased in June 2018 for N85 million.

A duplex with boys’ quarters on Yalinga Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, acquired in October 2018 for N150 million.

Two warehouse shops at Wuse Market, Abuja, purchased in July 2020 for N50 million.

Twin residential houses at Apo Legislative Quarters, Gudu District, Abuja, acquired between February and May 2017 for N250 million.

Multiple properties acquired under the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative at Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi, including nine three-bedroom bungalows, three two-bedroom bungalows, and 5.4 hectares of land, purchased between February and September 2023 for N187 million.

The forfeiture order comes amid an ongoing criminal trial involving Malami, his wife, Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, who are facing charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion before the same court.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: 2027: S’West ADC leaders revolt against Atiku

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1. Many leaders of the African Democratic Congress in the South-West have expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the marginalisation of the party’s structure in the region by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The ADC leaders, including some state chairmen and governorship candidates, alleged that Atiku had been conducting his political activities in the region through his friends and allies, while leaving the party structure sidelined as presidential campaign activities prepared to gather momentum.

2. A United States federal court has rejected an attempt to obtain discovery from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

3. The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Bello, has confirmed the “rescue of three of the six Islamic clerics kidnapped on September 12 while travelling to Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.” Bello gave the confirmation in an interview with select reporters in Gusau. He said the rescue followed a multi-agency collaboration and seamless synergy between the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Department of State Services, DSS, and police operatives.

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4. The Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have set a target of at least 1.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. According to a statement, the target was announced on Saturday in Osogbo during the inauguration of the movement’s state and local government structures.

5. Nigerians lose no less than N75bn annually to visa application expenses across foreign missions, with rejected Schengen visa applications alone accounting for an estimated €11.5m, equivalent to about N19bn in 2025.
This is according to a visa-cost analysis report obtained by Sunday PUNCH from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

6. With one accord, the governors of Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra States yesterday urged the people of the Southeast to avoid political distractions, and vote massively for President Bola Tinubu in next year’s presidential election. Governors Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodimma, Francis Nwifuru and Charles Soludo, said it was necessary for the zone to support Tinubu’s re-election bid to enable him consolidate the gains of his administration’s economic reforms

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7. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said Nigeria’s security challenges predate the administration of President Bola Tinubu, noting that terrorism, insurgency and banditry had been entrenched in the country before 2023 when Tinubu assumed office. He said the country’s security problems were rooted in years of porous borders, illegal arms proliferation, youth unemployment and the spread of extremist ideologies.

8. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike has directed supporters of President Bola Tinubu to deliver their polling unit in the forthcoming 2027 general elections. Addressing the supporters, Wike framed the upcoming general elections as a critical opportunity for residents of the nation’s capital to rectify past electoral missteps and unite under a strategic development banner.

9. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the name of the Kano State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from its updated list of candidates for the 2027 general elections. A check on the commission’s website shows that the names of Gwarzo and his deputy were conspicuously missing from the updated list.

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10. Four young men have been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a 12-year-old girl in Sakwa District, Zaki Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were arrested following a complaint by the victim’s 50-year-old father, who reported the incident at the Sakwa Divisional Police Headquarters on Thursday.

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Wale Tinubu, Rabiu, others Join President Tinubu in Makkah for Umrah

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The Group Chief Executive Oando Plc, Jubril Adewale Tinubu; Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and several other Nigerian business mogul have joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the performance of Umrah, the lesser Islamic pilgrimage.

The presence of the prominent Nigerian business leaders alongside the President in the holy city has drawn attention, bringing together three influential figures from Nigeria’s political and business communities in a moment of religious observance.

Tinubu and Rabiu, both prominent names in Nigeria’s corporate landscape, were seen alongside the President dressed in the traditional white Ihram garments worn by Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah.

Umrah, unlike the obligatory Hajj pilgrimage, can be undertaken at any time of the year. It involves a series of religious rites in Makkah and holds profound spiritual significance for Muslims across the world.

For the Nigerian business community, the appearance of the corporate leaders alongside the President also offers a glimpse into the intersection of faith, business and public life, particularly when influential figures come together outside the usual settings of boardrooms, corporate engagements and official functions.

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The development comes as President Tinubu undertook the pilgrimage to seek divine guidance and offer prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and progress.

According to the Presidency, the President performed the Umrah rites early Friday, October 30, at the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, where he circumambulated the Holy Ka’abah.

Speaking after completing the spiritual exercise, Tinubu described the pilgrimage as significant, linking it to his commitment to Nigeria and its people. He also expressed gratitude to Allah for the opportunity to pray for the country.

The President’s prayers reportedly centre on national harmony, security, economic prosperity and the need for Nigerians to live together peacefully.

Rabiu also used the occasion to express his hopes for the country, describing it as an honour to accompany the President on the spiritual journey. He prayed for lasting peace, unity and prosperity in Nigeria.

For Tinubu, whose Oando Group occupies a prominent position in Nigeria’s energy industry, the journey offered a departure from the familiar world of corporate leadership and business engagements. Rabiu, similarly, is a major player in the country’s industrial sector, with interests spanning manufacturing, cement and food production.

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Their appearance in Makkah alongside the President underscores the presence of leading figures from Nigeria’s private sector at an important spiritual moment for the country’s leader.

Umrah, often described as the lesser pilgrimage, is a significant act of worship in Islam. Unlike Hajj, which takes place during a specific period in the Islamic calendar, Umrah can be performed throughout the year.

President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria next week after completing his spiritual engagements in Saudi Arabia.

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