Justice Obiora Egwuatu has withdrawn from two high-profile cases brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The cases, which were recently reassigned to Justice Egwuatu by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, involve a multi-billion-naira asset forfeiture suit concerning 57 properties and separate ₦8.7 billion money laundering charges.
The latter charges also name Malami’s wife, Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, as defendants.
Read Also: Malami ‘Opens Up’ On His Source Of Wealth To Court
During the proceedings on Thursday, February 12, 2026, EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, noted that the defense lead, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had requested an adjournment to February 16 due to a commitment at the Court of Appeal.
Shortly thereafter, Justice Egwuatu delivered a brief ruling announcing his decision to step down from both matters.
“Gentlemen, for personal reasons and in the interest of justice, I will recuse myself from this case and in the other sister case,” the judge stated.
He further directed that the case files be returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
The legal battle over the 57 properties, which are currently under temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government, was originally handled by Justice Emeka Nwite during the Christmas vacation.
Following the end of the holiday break, the cases were moved to Justice Egwuatu’s court, with the civil matter set for today and the criminal trial scheduled for Monday.
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