Former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami has condemned what he described as an “extrajudicial, unlawful and illegitimate” takeover of his Maitama, Abuja residence by heavily armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who arrived in approximately five buses on Tuesday morning, barricaded the road, and forcefully took possession of the property — evicting his family members in the process.
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The dramatic seizure, which came just one day after EFCC operatives first marked the property on Monday, saw Malami step out of his residence quietly to avoid a confrontation with the armed officials, though he subsequently held a press conference at his chambers in Wuse 2 where he launched a detailed legal and political challenge to the commission’s actions.
The EFCC described the operation as a routine law enforcement step, while Malami’s household described it as political persecution. The former AGF has vowed to challenge the takeover through legal channels, with a court hearing on his application to set aside the forfeiture order already fixed for April 20, 2026.
EFCC operatives, reportedly led by one Folarin Sunday Dare, arrived at No. 2 Koronakh Close, off Amazon Street, Maitama, in approximately five buses on Tuesday morning. Dressed in their distinctive red and black jackets and heavily armed, the operatives barricaded the road leading to Malami’s residence and moved to take possession of the property.
A member of Malami’s household, Shehu Koko, told journalists that the EFCC personnel met the former minister at his residence and informed him they had been instructed to take over the property.
“The personnel of the EFCC were fully kitted and fully armed. They said they were instructed to come and take over the property of former minister, Abubakar Malami, without any valid court order, and he said okay, he has given them the go-ahead to do that,” Koko stated.
"No Order Authorised Eviction Or Immediate Possession" — Malami Accuses EFCC Of Overreaching While Forfeiture Challenge Is Fixed For April 20 pic.twitter.com/LurfGkxFLY
— The Nigeria Lawyer (@Nigerialawyers) March 24, 2026
According to Koko, Malami chose not to resist physically. “He just came to the house to deal with them for some hours, and they said they want to take over, and he said okay, then he left. He said they should take over.”
Koko added: “They came from authority, and you can’t fight authority. It’s still a political persecution. That’s how we look at it, we as politicians.”
Despite the dramatic circumstances, Koko insisted that Malami remained composed. “Malami is in a good state of mind; he is very active, he is fine, and he is courageous; nothing can shake him.”
The takeover was the culmination of a two-day operation. On Monday, EFCC operatives accompanied by armed security personnel visited the property and marked it with the inscription “Restrained order EFCC keep off” — an exercise that had itself sparked a confrontation with Malami, who demanded to see a court order authorising the marking.
The Monday marking came just hours after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other prominent ADC chieftains visited Malami at the same residence — a timing that fuelled speculation about political motivation.
When the operatives were unable to complete the process on Monday, they returned on Tuesday with reinforcements — significantly more personnel and vehicles — and completed the takeover by taking physical possession of the property and removing Malami’s family members.
Speaking at his Wuse 2 chambers on Tuesday, Malami presented a detailed legal argument against the EFCC’s actions.
He acknowledged that the Federal High Court granted an interim forfeiture order on January 6, 2026, covering 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities linked to him and two of his sons, Abdulaziz and Abiru Rahman Malami.
However, he argued that the interim order did not authorise immediate possession, eviction of occupants, or sale of the properties.
“There were no clear directives or instructions that the premises would be taken over forthwith or perhaps be sold, or perhaps evicting the occupants,” Malami stated.
He disclosed that he had filed an application at the Federal High Court seeking to set aside the forfeiture order, with the matter scheduled for hearing on April 20, 2026. He argued that the EFCC should not have taken enforcement actions while this challenge was still pending.
“Conventionally and traditionally, it is only natural, logical, legal and judicial that no party is expected to overreach by way of taking unilateral steps that would place a court in a situation of helplessness,” Malami stated.
Malami made a specific legal point about the enforcement of court orders, arguing that execution is the exclusive function of court bailiffs and not the prerogative of a party to the litigation.
“Executions of the court orders and processes are exclusive functions of the court bailiffs and are not in any way the prerogatives of a party to the litigation,” the former AGF stated.
He described the EFCC’s actions as steps that are “extrajudicial, unprecedented, unlawful, illegitimate and intended apparently to cause a situation of helplessness on the part of the court which had already fixed the hearing of the application relating to these properties to a certain date which is fixed for the 20th day of April, 2026.”
Malami suggested that the timing of the EFCC’s actions — coming shortly after his release from detention and coinciding with visits from political associates — could fuel suspicions of political motivation.
“The fact that these things happen at a time when I was receiving tremendous goodwill messages, solidarity visits and courtesies, can certainly be a basis for people to insinuate political persecutions,” he stated.
However, he declined to directly accuse anyone of political vendetta because the matter is before the court, adding that he would pursue only steps that “are legal, legitimate and judicial.”
Malami’s July 2025 defection from the APC to the African Democratic Congress, combined with his recent hosting of former Vice President Atiku — the ADC’s leading presidential aspirant — has placed him squarely in the opposition camp, raising questions about whether the intensification of enforcement actions against him is connected to his political realignment.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale told reporters that the property marking was a routine law enforcement step aimed at notifying the public of the property’s status following the forfeiture order.
The EFCC’s position is that the interim forfeiture order grants it the authority to preserve the properties and prevent their disposal pending final determination of the forfeiture proceedings.
Malami currently faces prosecution on multiple fronts. The EFCC has arraigned him alongside his wife Bashir Asabe and son Abdulaziz on charges bordering on money laundering involving N8,713,923,759.49. The DSS has separately charged him and his son with terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms. And the EFCC is pursuing civil forfeiture of 57 properties.
He was appointed Attorney-General of the Federation in 2015 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari and served until the end of the administration in 2023.
The court hearing on Malami’s application to set aside the forfeiture order is fixed for April 20, 2026. That hearing will determine whether the interim order remains in force and whether the EFCC’s actions in seizing the property were legally justified.
Malami called on the media to report the situation objectively and urged authorities to allow due process to prevail.
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