A judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja has withdrawn from the N212.8 billion assets forfeiture case involving former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), returning the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge.
The withdrawal followed administrative court procedure, as the matter was among cases handled during the court’s vacation period and is required to be reassigned once normal court sittings resume. The judge formally informed parties in court that the file had been sent back to the Chief Judge for onward reassignment.
The case was instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is seeking the forfeiture of 57 landed properties allegedly acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. The properties are spread across Abuja, Kano, Birnin-Kebbi in Kebbi State, and other locations nationwide.
Earlier in January, the court had granted an interim forfeiture order over the assets, valued at approximately N212.8 billion, pending the determination of the substantive suit. The interim order also directed the EFCC to publish the forfeiture notice in a national newspaper.
The publication was intended to give interested parties a 14-day window to appear before the court and show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. A date had been fixed for the EFCC to report compliance with the court’s directives.
However, when the matter did not appear on the court’s cause list as expected, the judge clarified that the reassignment was purely administrative and not connected to the merits of the case or any application by the parties.
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The forfeiture proceedings form part of a broader legal challenge facing Malami, who is also standing trial in a separate N8.7 billion money laundering case. In that matter, he is jointly charged alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz Malami.
That criminal case was also assigned to the same judge during the court vacation, with bail granted to the defendants and trial scheduled to commence in February 2026, subject to further directions of the court.
Meanwhile, Malami’s media aides have raised concerns over his detention, alleging that restrictions placed on his access to legal counsel could affect his ability to adequately prepare his defence in the ongoing cases.
With the forfeiture file now before the Chief Judge, a new judge is expected to be designated in the coming days to continue the proceedings, including the hearing that will determine whether the interim forfeiture order will be made final.
