Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of unlawfully attempting to take over his Maitama residence in Abuja while a related court case is still pending.
The EFCC had on Monday marked the property to enforce an interim forfeiture order. The commission, through spokesperson Dele Oyewale, described the action as a routine public notification of the property’s status.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Malami said the commission acted despite an ongoing case at the Federal High Court. He explained that although an interim forfeiture order was granted on January 6, it did not authorise the eviction of occupants or the takeover of the property.
“There was an attempt by the EFCC in respect of pending proceedings before the Federal High Court. The order granted was an interim forfeiture order, but there were no directives that the premises should be taken over or that occupants should be evicted,” Malami said.
He noted that he has filed an application to set aside the forfeiture order, with the matter scheduled for hearing on April 20, and argued that the EFCC should not have taken action while the court case is ongoing.
Malami accused the commission of attempting to evict his family without due process. “Without seeking an order to seal the property or evict occupants, the EFCC came to enforce eviction,” he said, adding that operatives later returned with additional personnel and took possession of the residence.
He stressed that enforcing court orders is the responsibility of court officials, not parties to a case. “Execution of court orders is the function of court bailiffs and not parties to a case,” Malami said, describing the EFCC’s actions as unlawful and warning that they could affect ongoing court proceedings.
