Politics
…commends EFCC, warns Tinubu government against re-Looting
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for obtaining an interim forfeiture order over dozens of properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), describing the development as one of the most consequential anti-corruption actions in recent years.
While emphasizing that the matter remains before the court and that all parties are entitled to due process, HURIWA said the staggering number of assets listed in the interim forfeiture proceedings has once again exposed the urgent need for Nigeria to confront the culture of reckless accumulation of wealth by powerful public officials.
The rights group asked a question that millions of Nigerians are already asking:
“In how many houses can one man genuinely live in one lifetime?”
HURIWA said that if the courts ultimately order the final forfeiture of the assets, the federal government must ensure that every recovered property is preserved and deployed strictly for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We commend the EFCC for demonstrating courage in pursuing this case. No individual, no matter how influential, should be placed above the law. However, recovering assets is only the beginning. The real challenge is ensuring that recovered assets do not disappear into another cycle of elite capture.”
The association warned the federal government that Nigerians would not tolerate a situation where properties recovered in the name of fighting corruption are quietly shared among politically connected individuals, cronies, or powerful figures within government.
“We have seen this ugly movie before. Public assets are recovered with fanfare only to vanish through the back door into the hands of another set of political profiteers. That would amount to corruption fighting corruption.”
HURIWA declared that re-looting recovered assets is every bit as criminal and immoral as the original looting, insisting that any attempt to secretly allocate, under-value, privatise or divert forfeited properties would amount to a direct betrayal of the Nigerian people.
The group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally guarantee that any assets eventually forfeited to the federal government are managed under a transparent and independently monitored framework.
According to HURIWA, every recovered property should be publicly documented, independently valued and either converted into projects that directly benefit citizens—such as hospitals, schools, research centres, judicial institutions and affordable housing—or disposed of through an open, competitive and publicly verifiable process.
“There must be no secret beneficiaries. There must be no midnight transfers. There must be no political compensation disguised as asset disposal. Nigerians are watching.”
The association further urged the National Assembly, civil society organisations, the media and anti-corruption watchdogs to maintain constant oversight over all recovered assets, and the warning that transparency must not end with obtaining court orders.
“The credibility of Nigeria’s anti-corruption war will not be measured merely by the number of forfeiture orders secured in court. It will be measured by whether recovered public wealth truly returns to the Nigerian people instead of finding its way into the estates of another generation of politically powerful individuals.”
HURIWA maintained that the era when recovered national assets simply changed hands from one privileged elite to another must come to an end, insisting that every kobo and every property ultimately recovered belongs to the Nigerian people and must be used to improve their lives.
A.I
July 17, 2026
Tags: Abubakar Malami EFCC HURIWA President Bola Ahmed Tinubu