By Micah Jonah,February 12, 2026
Justice Obiora Egwatu on Thursday recused himself from the Federal High Court’s asset forfeiture suit involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and two others.
The judge told the court he could no longer continue with the matter, citing personal reasons, shortly after lawyers for the parties had announced their appearances.
“Ladies and gentlemen, for personal reasons, and for the better interest of justice, I will recuse myself from this case,” Egwatu said.
He directed that the case file be sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.
“The instant charge CR/700/2025 filed FRN vs Abubakar Malami (SAN) and two others shall be filed back to the Chief Judge for further directives,” he added.
The recusal comes amid a high-profile legal battle over 57 properties valued at about ₦213.2bn, which Justice Emeka Nwite had ordered temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government last month.
The interim forfeiture followed an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which said the assets were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity linked to Malami and his sons.
The properties include university buildings, hotels, plazas, filling stations, residential estates, and large tracts of land in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states.
Justice Nwite’s order also directed the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper, giving any interested party 14 days to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
Malami has challenged the forfeiture, insisting his wealth was legitimately acquired and fully declared.
The former AGF urged the court to dismiss the proceedings, citing “conflicting outcomes” and “duplicative litigation,” while arguing that the action violated his rights to property, presumption of innocence, and family life.
He also asked the court to restrain the EFCC from interfering with his ownership and control of three properties numbered 9, 18, and 48, noting that one of them is held in trust for the estate of his late father, Kadi Malami.
