Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court on Thursday recused himself from two cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami.
Justice Egwuatu, who was recently reassigned the matters by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said his decision to withdraw was based on personal reasons and in the interest of justice.
The development occurred shortly after one of the cases — a civil suit seeking the forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to Malami — was called for mention.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the cases were previously before Justice Emeka Nwite, who handled them as a vacation judge during the Christmas break.
With Justice Egwuatu’s withdrawal, the cases are expected to be reassigned for further proceedings.
