Former AGF Malami, Wife and Son Secure N600 Million Bail in High-Profile Money Laundering Case
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alongside his son Abdulaziz Malami and one of his wives, Hajia Bashir Asabe. The trio are facing serious money laundering charges involving approximately N9 billion in public funds. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik approved bail for each defendant at the sum of N200 million, requiring two sureties in the same amount per person.
Court Proceedings and Legal Arguments
The defendants had initially been remanded on February 27 following their re-arraignment on a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This remand order came after the court declined to adopt earlier bail conditions that had been granted by Justice Emeka Nwite when he handled the case as a vacation judge. After pleading not guilty to all charges, defense counsel Joseph Daudu requested the court to maintain the previous bail terms.
However, EFCC prosecutor Jibrin Okutepa argued that since the case had been re-arraigned, the court possessed full discretion to determine whether the earlier bail conditions should remain applicable. Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the matter had effectively started afresh before her court, declaring that the previous proceedings had legally concluded. She subsequently directed the defendants to file a new bail application, which was later granted following proper consideration.
Stringent Bail Conditions Imposed
The court imposed several strict conditions as part of the bail approval:
- One of the sureties must provide title documents for a property located in either the Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja
- All defendants must surrender their international passports to the court registrar
- The defendants are prohibited from traveling outside Nigeria without obtaining prior court permission
- The defendants must remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until they fully satisfy all bail conditions
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until March 16 for the formal commencement of trial proceedings.
Detailed Allegations and Additional Charges
According to EFCC investigators, Malami—who served as justice minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari from November 2015 to May 2023—allegedly utilized various companies and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano to conceal proceeds of crime. The commission claims that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide more than N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account.
Furthermore, prosecutors allege the same company was employed to siphon approximately N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021. The EFCC additionally contends that the defendants retained N600 million in March 2021 as collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Limited from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly knowing these funds represented proceeds of criminal activity.
These actions are said to violate multiple provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011. Witnesses expected to testify in the case include EFCC investigators, bank officials, real estate agents, and Bureau de Change operators.
In a separate legal development, Malami and his son are also facing a five-count charge of terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms filed by the Department of State Services, adding another layer to their legal challenges.
