BATTLE FOR KEBBI GOVERNMENT HOUSE

DAHIRU HASSAN KERA urges the people to use their good judgment

There’s an African caution, perhaps even a prayer point, that says: may what happened before never happen again. For Kebbi State, this prayer has suddenly become a very urgent one against what appears to be a determined attempt to repeat on our state what was done to Nigeria.

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the final forfeiture of 48 properties worth over ₦220 billion linked to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who is also seeking to become the next governor of Kebbi State. Among the forfeited assets are Rayhaan University in Kebbi State, including its Permanent Site, Temporary Site, Third Site, the Vice-Chancellor’s residence and Rayhaan Radio, all located along Sani Abacha Bypass Road, Birnin Kebbi.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted the final forfeiture after holding that the Commission had established that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were not acquired from lawful sources of income. 

The list is staggering: a luxury duplex in Maitama; a massive three-storey building in Area 11, Garki; luxury hotels in Jabi and Maitama; multiple properties in Asokoro; commercial plazas in Abuja and Kano; hundreds of hectares of land along the Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road; residential houses, filling stations, warehouses, shopping complexes, factories, hotels, schools, mosques, supermarkets, staff quarters, printing presses, gardens and numerous other high-value assets spread across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi.

Also on the forfeiture list are Rayhaan Agro Allied Factory, Azbir Arena and its numerous business concerns, Al-Afiya Energy tanker garage, Rayhaan Security House, Amasdul Oil and Gas filling station, Zeennoor Hotel with its 131 rooms, Zeennoor Mosque and several other properties. 

Whether one supports or opposes Malami politically, no honest observer can pretend this is an ordinary list of assets. It paints the picture of an empire whose ownership and source became the subject of judicial scrutiny, ending in a final forfeiture order.

Before anyone asks whether he was given a fair hearing, the answer is yes. Following the interim forfeiture order earlier granted by Justice Emeka Nwite, Malami, members of his family and several associates approached the court. They challenged the jurisdiction of the court, opposed the interim forfeiture order, urged that it be set aside and presented their arguments. 

But, after considering those arguments, the court still proceeded to grant the final forfeiture. That sequence of events is important because it demonstrates that this was not a verdict reached in the court of public opinion. There was a judicial process, legal representation, arguments from both sides and a final decision.

I deliberately took my time to list many of these properties and the legal battle not because I enjoy counting another man’s assets or his travails, but because facts must be brutal and should never pander to emotions. I wanted to make sure no one is given the impression that the properties were social media rumours. The court proceedings were not gossip, nor was the legal challenge imaginary. They are all matters of public record. 

This is also why I find it difficult to accept attempts to reduce everything to a narrative of political persecution. Every accused person is entitled to defend himself, but the public is equally entitled to examine judicial outcomes and ask difficult questions before handing over another public office.

Now, I think we must interrogate the manner of greed that makes one man to become associated with assets of this magnitude while millions of Nigerians struggle daily to feed their families? 

And what manner of audacity allows a man carrying this level of baggage to look the people of Kebbi straight in the eye and ask them to entrust him with an even greater responsibility?

Public office is supposed to be a sacred trust. The office of the attorney general should inspire confidence, represent integrity and symbolise accountability. 

So, when someone who occupied such an office becomes associated with proceedings that culminate in the forfeiture of assets, it inevitably raises serious questions about judgment, and suitability for future leadership. This conversation therefore goes beyond politics. It is about trust, cherished African values, but more importantly, it is about the future of Kebbi State.

The recent video showing groups of youths welcoming Malami now takes on an entirely different significance. Whether those youths reflected genuine public sentiment or mere political theatre is almost beside the point. It is not merely a political question; it is a question of prudence, judgment and self-preservation.

This is precisely why I believe the people of Kebbi must think long and hard before making their choice. Leadership is not measured by eloquent speeches, expensive campaign posters or the ability to mobilise crowds. Neither is it measured by the capacity to invoke religion whenever accountability comes knocking. Without accountability, public office gradually degenerates into a private enterprise designed to enrich a privileged few at the expense of the many.

Healthcare, education, agriculture, security and infrastructure, all sectors that require disciplined financial management could become casualties of poor leadership.

Kebbi has earned a reputation over the years as a state built on faith, honour and conservative values. Those values should count for something at the ballot box. Our people should not reward controversy with promotion or elevate unresolved ethical concerns into executive authority. 

The safest bridge is the one that has already proven it can carry weight. The most dangerous bridge is the one with visible cracks that everyone pretends not to see until it collapses beneath them. The people of Kebbi still have a choice.

Kera, a Journalist, writes from Abuja.