Judge Warns Against Delays in Malami Asset Forfeiture Case, Sets Hearing Date

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has firmly scheduled May 26 for the definitive hearing of the asset forfeiture case involving former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. During Tuesday's proceedings, Justice Abdulmalik issued a stern warning to all legal counsel, cautioning them against any actions calculated to stall the crucial proceedings before her. The judge made it clear that she would not hesitate to invoke the court's contempt powers to curb any conduct that could impede the progress of the case. This strong stance comes as Mr. Malami faces multiple legal challenges, including separate trials for money laundering and gun charges, in addition to the ongoing forfeiture proceedings. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized 57 assets from Mr. Malami, which they value at N212.8 billion, and these are currently subject to an interim forfeiture order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The EFCC contends that these multi-billion-naira properties, which include luxury residential and commercial assets across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states, are proceeds of unlawful activities. Mr. Malami, however, has challenged the interim forfeiture order, asserting that he legitimately acquired all the assets in question. Tuesday's hearing was a continuation of these forfeiture proceedings, with the EFCC's lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, informing the court about a communication from the lead defense counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, regarding his unavailability due to engagements at the Court of Appeal. Mr. Okutepa expressed his profound displeasure with the manner in which the defense has been handling the matter. In response, Justice Abdulmalik reiterated the necessity of strict compliance with court directives, emphasizing that the interim forfeiture order had been published for 14 days, providing ample opportunity for interested parties to present their cases. She declared that a definitive hearing date would be given and warned that any counsel failing to file their processes by then would be deemed to have excluded themselves from the proceedings.

“

My directive is that this interim forfeiture was placed in a newspaper for fourteen days for parties to show cause. I am going to give a definite date for hearing. Any counsel whose processes are not in will be deemed to have shut himself out.