A judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has stepped down from an asset forfeiture case involving Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, and two other respondents.
Justice Obiora Egwatu announced his decision on Thursday, February 12, 2026, after lawyers appeared in court.
“Ladies and gentlemen, for personal reasons, and for the better interest of justice, I will recuse myself from this case,” he said.
The judge directed that the file should be forwarded to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge. He said the matter, marked as CR/700/2025, would be returned to the Chief Judge “for further directives.”
The case is part of a legal battle over 57 properties valued at about ₦213.2 billion, which were temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria last month by Justice Emeka Nwite.
The interim forfeiture order was granted on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, after an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency. The EFCC says the assets are suspected proceeds of unlawful activity linked to Malami and his sons.
The properties listed include university buildings, hotels, plazas, filling stations, residential estates, and large tracts of land located in Abuja and in Kebbi State, Kano State, and Kaduna State, all in northern Nigeria.
Justice Nwite also ordered the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper and invite any interested parties to show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
Malami has challenged the interim forfeiture, insisting his wealth was lawfully acquired and fully declared to the appropriate authorities. He urged the court to dismiss the case, warning against “conflicting outcomes” and “duplicative litigation,” and arguing that the action violated his rights to property, the presumption of innocence, and family life.
He also asked the court to restrain the EFCC from interfering with his ownership, possession, and control of three properties numbered 9, 18, and 48 in the EFCC application. Malami said one of those properties is held in trust for the estate of his late father, Kadi Malami.
The next step is for the Chief Judge to reassign the case and fix a new date for proceedings to continue.