馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Court of Appeal reserves ruling in Abubakar Malami's property forfeiture appeal
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved its ruling on an application filed by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Malami is seeking leave to appeal a Federal High Court ruling concerning the forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to him. A three-member panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, did not set a date for the ruling but stated that parties would be notified. Malami's counsel, Joseph Daudu, argued for an extension of time to appeal, citing delays in obtaining the lower court's certified ruling. Daudu contended that the respondents' objection, based on an earlier Supreme Court decision, no longer reflects current legal requirements, which mandate attaching the ruling to an interlocutory appeal. He also disputed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's reliance on a fast-track practice direction, arguing it was not raised in their counter-affidavit. Conversely, EFCC counsel Jibrin Okutepa opposed the application, describing it as unnecessary and falling under the fast-track practice direction for corruption cases. Okutepa stated that the properties were allegedly acquired fraudulently while Malami served as Attorney-General of the Federation and argued that interlocutory appeals in such matters are discouraged. He also noted that Malami failed to provide substantial reasons for the delay in filing the appeal and referenced the reassignment of the case at the Federal High Court, where Justice Abdulmalik delivered the challenged ruling a
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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