The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the money laundering case and the civil suit for the forfeiture of 57 properties filed against former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami to Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
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Hearing dates for the reassigned cases have been fixed. The civil suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, is scheduled for February 12, while the criminal case involving alleged money laundering against Malami, his wife Hajia Asabe Bashir, and his son Abdulaziz, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, is set for February 16.
The ex-AGF, his wife, and son are expected to be re-arraigned on the 16-count criminal charge before Justice Egwuatu. Under judicial practice, reassigned cases begin afresh, and prior legal conclusions by the former court are not binding unless agreed by the parties.
Malami, Asabe, and Abdulaziz were initially arraigned on December 30, 2025, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Emeka Nwite, sitting as a vacation judge. They pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of alleged money laundering totaling N8,713,923,759.49. Malami and his son were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, while Asabe was held at Suleja Correctional Centre before being granted N500 million bail each with two sureties in like sum on January 7.
Justice Nwite also ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities linked to Malami to the Federal Government on January 6, following an ex-parte motion by EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN. The properties, located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, were directed to be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties 14 days to show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited.
Malami has challenged the civil suit, arguing that the EFCC obtained the interim order through misrepresentation and suppression of facts. In a motion filed on January 27 by a team led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, he asked the court to dismiss the suit, claiming it threatens his fundamental rights to property, presumption of innocence, and peaceful family life.
Separately, Malami and his son are also facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count terrorism-related charge before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
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