The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the money laundering case and the civil forfeiture suit involving former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, to Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
Fresh hearing dates have been fixed for both matters. The civil suit seeking the forfeiture of 57 properties, filed as FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, will be heard on February 12, while the criminal case on alleged money laundering, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, is scheduled for February 16.
Malami, alongside his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, and their son, Abdulaziz, is expected to be re-arraigned before Justice Egwuatu on a 16-count charge. Under judicial procedure, cases reassigned to a new judge begin afresh, with previous rulings holding no binding effect unless adopted by all parties.
The trio was first arraigned on December 30, 2025, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as a vacation judge. They pleaded not guilty to charges of laundering funds totaling ₦8.71 billion. Malami and his son were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while Asabe was held at the Suleja Correctional Centre, before each was granted bail of ₦500 million with two sureties in the same amount on January 7.
Earlier, on January 6, Justice Nwite ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to proceeds of unlawful activities connected to Malami. The order followed an ex-parte application by EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, directing that the properties—located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna—be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government. The court also instructed that the forfeiture be published in a national newspaper, allowing interested parties 14 days to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
Malami has since contested the forfeiture suit, accusing the EFCC of obtaining the interim order through misrepresentation and suppression of material facts. In a motion filed on January 27 by a legal team led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, he urged the court to strike out the suit, arguing that it violates his constitutional rights to property, presumption of innocence, and peaceful family life.
Meanwhile, Malami and his son are also standing trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in a separate case, where they face a five-count terrorism-related charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS).
