Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Monday confronted former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a tense exchange that has since gone viral.
The incident, captured on video, showed Sowore addressing Malami over his ongoing legal challenges, drawing comparisons between the former minister’s current predicament and his role during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami is currently facing charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), including allegations of money laundering, unlawful possession of firearms, and acquisition of assets. He is also challenging an interim forfeiture order on some of his properties, insisting they were legally obtained.
During the confrontation, Sowore remarked, “You see how it feels now to be persecuted. When you were with Buhari, you were bragging. We warned you that the justice system was failing, but you didn’t listen. Now the system is dealing with you.”
But Sowore described the claims as speculative, stressing that no documentation had been provided to prove the properties were purchased with illegal funds.
He also accused the EFCC of inflating the value of the assets to strengthen its case. According to him, properties bought for hundreds of millions of naira were wrongly valued in the billions.
He noted that independent assessments had placed more realistic values on the assets.
Explaining the sources of his wealth, Malami said they stem from over 30 years of legal practice, as well as investments in sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, and education.
He added that he also benefited from bank loans, asset sales, gifts, and proceeds from book launches, all of which he claimed were properly declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
Beyond disputing the financial allegations, Malami accused the EFCC of violating due process. He further alleged that officials seized properties without a final court order, evicted occupants, and confiscated documents, actions he described as unlawful and extrajudicial conduct.
The case, which is linked to an ongoing criminal matter involving the former AGF, is expected to test the scope of the EFCC’s powers in asset forfeiture and its compliance with legal procedures.
Malami is asking the court to overturn the interim forfeiture order, insisting the properties are legitimate.
The court will ultimately determine whether the assets should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government or returned to him.