Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Pierre Antoine
A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday ordered the immediate remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife and son, in connection with an amended 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering amounting to over ₦8.7 billion.
Presiding judge Justice Joyce Abdulmalik directed that Malami and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, be returned to the Kuje Correctional Centre, while his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, was ordered to remain at the Suleja Medium Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of fresh bail applications.
The ruling followed their re-arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after the case was reassigned from Justice Emeka Nwite to Justice Abdulmalik. The anti-graft agency had filed an amended charge sheet, accusing the three defendants of conspiracy, procurement, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During proceedings, prosecution counsel Chief J.S. Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that this was the first hearing before the new judge and sought permission to read the amended charges to the defendants. He highlighted corrections made in Counts 11 and 12 to ensure that the numeric figures corresponded accurately with the sums written in words, describing the changes as technical adjustments intended to remove inconsistencies.
Defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, did not oppose the amendments but requested that the prosecution formally regularise the corrections. Justice Abdulmalik granted leave for the adjustments to the numeric values in the specified counts to align with the written figures.
The first count alleges that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025 in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of ₦1,014,848,500 in a Sterling Bank Plc account. The prosecution contends that they reasonably ought to have known the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Act.
In Count Five, Malami, his son, and Asabe—identified in court documents as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited—are accused of conspiring in September 2024 to conceal the illicit source of ₦1,049,173,926.13 transferred through a Union Bank Plc account linked to Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024. The charge alleges violations under Section 21 and punishable provisions under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same statute.
Count Six further alleges that Malami and his son indirectly controlled ₦1,362,887,872.96 deposited into a Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and October 2025, despite reasonably knowing the funds were derived from unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3).
In total, the EFCC alleges that the defendants laundered ₦8,713,923,759.49 through various corporate entities and financial institutions, using fronts to conceal the origin of the funds. All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge.
Following the plea, the prosecution requested that a trial date be fixed and that the defendants be remanded in custody. Defence counsel argued that the defendants had previously been granted bail by Justice Nwite during their initial arraignment and had complied fully with the bail conditions. He maintained that the Federal High Court operates as one unified court and urged the judge to allow the earlier bail to subsist.
In response, the prosecution acknowledged the earlier bail but submitted that the court retained discretion either to maintain the previous terms or to impose new conditions to guarantee attendance. It argued that the reassignment of the case provided grounds for the court to reassess bail.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that the reassignment effectively terminated the earlier bail arrangement. She directed that fresh bail applications be filed before her court. An oral application for bail by the defence was refused, with the judge instructing that a formal written application be submitted, citing the gravity and scale of the allegations.
The court further ordered that the prosecution must grant defence counsel access to the defendants to prepare their case adequately. Proceedings were adjourned to March 6, 2026, for the hearing of bail applications and the commencement of trial.
Stone Reporters note that the case represents one of the most high-profile prosecutions involving a former chief law officer of the federation. The coming bail hearing and subsequent trial are expected to attract significant public and political attention, given Malami’s prominent role in Nigeria’s legal and political landscape during his tenure in office.
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