BREAKING: CJ REASSIGNS EFCC CASES AGAINST EX-AGF MALAMI TO NEW JUDGE

CJ REASSIGNS EFCC CASES AGAINST EX-AGF MALAMI TO NEW JUDGE


The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned two high-profile cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to a new trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

The reassignment follows the recusal of Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who had earlier been assigned the cases after they were transferred from a sister court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite during the 2025 Christmas/New Year vacation period. The new trial date has been fixed for February 27, 2026.

Justice Egwuatu withdrew from both the civil and criminal suits involving Malami, his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, citing personal reasons and in the interest of justice.

The civil suit concerns the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to unlawful activities, while the criminal suit involves a N8.7 billion money laundering charge. During the vacation period, Justice Nwite, who initially presided over the matters, had ordered the interim forfeiture of the 57 properties located across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna States.

Malami has challenged the civil suit, urging the court to dismiss it on grounds that the EFCC allegedly secured the interim order through misrepresentation and suppression of material facts. The former AGF argued that the proceedings violated his fundamental rights, including the right to own property, the presumption of innocence, and the right to family privacy. Additional applicants have joined Malami in seeking the vacating of the interim forfeiture order.

In the criminal suit, Malami, his wife, and son are to be re-arraigned on 16 counts of money laundering on February 27. They previously pleaded not guilty, with Malami and his son initially remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, and Asabe at Suleja Correctional Centre, before each was granted N500 million bail with two sureties.

Separately, Malami and his son were re-arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged terrorism charges and are currently detained. They have been arraigned before Justice Abdulmalik on a five-count terrorism charge, also scheduled to commence trial on February 27.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JUST IN: ONDO GOVT ORDERS TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF SELECTED SCHOOLS AHEAD OF STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Image
ONDO GOVT ORDERS TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF SELECTED SCHOOLS AHEAD OF STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION The Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced the temporary closure of selected public primary and secondary schools across the state ahead of the Ondo State House of Assembly election scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. According to a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the affected schools are those designated as polling centres for the election across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state. The Ministry directed learners, teachers, and other staff members in the affected schools to remain at home on election day as part of measures to ensure the safety of lives and property and to support a peaceful and orderly electoral process. The statement noted that heads of the affected schools would be contacted directly to ensure full compliance with the directive, while officials from Zonal and Area Education Offices would also monitor and supp...
Read more

JUST IN: APC ONDO APPOINTS OLAWALE IJANUSI AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT ON NEW MEDIA

Image
APC ONDO APPOINTS OLAWALE IJANUSI AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT ON NEW MEDIA The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has announced the appointment of Mr. Olawale Sunday Ijanusi as Special Assistant on New Media to the State Chairman, in a move aimed at strengthening the party’s communication structure. The appointment, which was conveyed in an official letter dated April 21, 2026, and signed by the APC Ondo State Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, forms part of an ongoing reorganization within the party’s secretariat to enhance effective service delivery. According to the letter, Ijanusi was found suitably qualified for the role following an internal assessment, underscoring the party’s commitment to engaging competent individuals in key strategic positions. The new role places Ijanusi at the center of the party’s digital communication efforts, where he is expected to manage and coordinate new media strategies, including online engagement, information dissemination, and digital campaign initia...
Read more

JUST IN: MATO CRUSHES INCUMBENT ADEFIRANYE, CLINCHES APC REPS TICKET WITH LANDSLIDE VICTORY

Image
MATO CRUSHES INCUMBENT ADEFIRANYE, CLINCHES APC REPS TICKET WITH LANDSLIDE VICTORY Hon. Mathew Oye Oyerinmade, popularly known as MATO, has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives Primary Election for Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo and Odigbo Federal Constituency in Ondo State, defeating incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Festus Adefiranye, by a wide margin. The APC primary election, held on Saturday across the federal constituency, recorded a large turnout of party delegates and supporters, with security agencies and party officials monitoring the exercise. At the end of the collation process, Hon. Mathew Oye Oyerinmade secured an overwhelming 12,744 votes to emerge victorious in the keenly contested primary election. His closest rival and incumbent member representing the constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Adefiranye, polled 1,944 votes, while other aspirants recorded lower figures. The result reflected a decisive victory for Oyer...
Read more