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Why 57 properties linked to Malami should be permanently forfeited to FG – EFCC

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained to the Federal High Court in Abuja why the 57 properties allegedly linked to Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Minister of Justice, should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The EFCC, in a motion on notice for final forfeiture of the property filed by its team of lawyers led by Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the respondents had failed to place sufficient evidence before the court to warrant the court to vacate the earlier interim order.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, named the ex-AGF, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, Hajia Bashir Asabe, Abiru’ Rahman Abubakar Malami as 1st to 4th respondents.

Others are Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Ltd, Mountain View Gold and Jewellery Ltd, Amasdul Oil and Gas Ltd, Azbir Arena Nigeria Ltd, Meethaq Hotels Ltd as 5th to 9th respondents.

They also include Rayhaan University Ltd/GTE, Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, Zeenoor Hotels Ltd, Kawsar Ben of Brahim, Alhaji Muktaka Usman Junju, Real Edge Agro Services Ltd as 10th to 15th respondents respectively.

The application was brought pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.

The anti-graft agency sought “a final order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the properties described in the schedule below, which were found by the commission as properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”

Giving six grounds why the application should be granted, Okutepa submitted that the court has the statutory powers under the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006, to grant the reliefs being sought.

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The lawyer said it is a non-conviction-based asset forfeiture proceeding.

According to him, the properties sought to be attached and forfeited are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawtul activitics.

“This honourable court made an interim order forfeiting the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The order of the honourable court has been published in a national daily, of 9th January, 2026.

“No sufficient cause has been shown why the properties under the interim forfeiture order should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Okutepa argued.

In the affidavit in support of the motion, Daniel Adebayo, an investigating officer with the Special Duties Committee of the EFCC, said he had the consent of the commission’s chairman to depose to the affidavit and from facts gathered in the course of the investigation.

He said the commission received several petitions against the former minister from different organisations alleging a serious case of corruption, abuse of office and fraud.

He said upon receipt of the series of petitions, his team carried out several investigation activities which included making inquiries and receiving financial records from commercial banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said the team wrote and received response from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Federal Inland revenue Services (FIRS), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS).

He said it also include the Land Registry of Kebbi State, Sokoto State and Kano State, Kebbi State Inland Revenue Service, FCT Inland Revenue Services, National Universities Commission (NUC), visiting the sold landed properties and valuation of the assets.

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The officer said the team invited and interviewed individuals who featured in the investigation.

He listed Malami’s lawful sources of income while he served as minister between 2015 and 2023, including salaries, allowances, estacodes, which total sums were not proportionate to the alleged properties he illegally acquired.

“I know as a fact and verily believe the findings of the investigation, which are as follows:

“Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, hereinafter referred to as HAGF, from 2015 to 2023.

“He was paid a total of N89, 664, 000.00 as salary between 2015 and 2023, whilst in office, with an average payment of N962,663.68 per month.

“He also received a severance allowance of N12, 158, 400.00 at the end of his tenure in office.

“Mr. Malami SAN was also paid estacodes allowances to cover his travel expenses whenever he travelled outside the country on official trips.

“He calculated and declared a total sum of N253, 608, 500.00 as the amount he received for the official trips between 2015 and 2023 in a letter written to the Chairman of the CCB as an addendum to his Assets Declaration Form in June 2023.

“Attached and collectively marked as Exhibit EFCC 2 & 3 are copies of the asset declaration forms filled out by Mr. Malami SAN from 2015 to 2023, together with a letter dated 16th of June, 2023 written by him to the Chairman of the CCB as addendum to the assets declaration form as found at his house during EFCC’s execution of search warrant.”

He said “aside the actual acquisition of the properties which are manifestly disproportionate to Mr. Malami SAN‘s known and lawful sources of income, no building permits/approvals from appropriate authorities were obtained to erect most of the various structures in Kano and Kebbi States as part of a scheme to disguise unlawful origin of the funds used to acquire the assets.”

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Adebayo alleged that Malami indirectly acquired some of the multiple assets either in his name or through third-party individuals or front companies/entities (which are currently under his chairmanship vide the Rayhaan Group Ltd).

The EFCC listed the 57 multi-billion naira landed properties located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna States, including temporary and permanent sites of Rayhaan University in Kebbi.

Justice Abdulmalik had fixed April 21 for the hearing of the commission’s motion.

NAN reports that a sister court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had, on Jan. 6, ordered the interim forfeiture of the 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities to the Federal Government.

The judge made the order following an ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Iheanacho.

The judge directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested person(s) to show cause, within 14 days, why all the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The case was, however, reassigned to Justice Obiora Egwuatu after the vacation ended but Egwuatu recused himself from the matter, citing personal reasons and in the interest of justice, before it was reassigned to Abdulmalik.

Malami and others had since challenged the anti-graft agency’s civil suit, praying the court to vacate the order.

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

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Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

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On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

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4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

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7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

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10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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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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