Abubakar Malami, SAN, the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, along with his son, Abdulaziz, and wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, has been granted multi-billion naira bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Delivering the ruling on Wednesday, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered N1 billion bail each for Malami and his son, while Mrs. Asabe was granted N500 million bail. Each defendant is required to provide two sureties of equivalent value, who must own properties in Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court further instructed that the defendants submit the title documents of the properties for verification, surrender their travel passports, and ensure their sureties provide recent passport photographs along with affidavits of means. The trio was warned not to travel abroad without court permission and will remain in custody until the bail conditions are fully met. The trial has been adjourned to February 17.
Malami, who served as Justice Minister from November 2015 to May 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, faces 16 counts of money laundering. According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former minister allegedly laundered about N9 billion through property transactions across Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano.
EFCC claims that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami, his wife, and son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account, and siphoned about N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021. They are also accused of retaining N600 million in March 2021 as cash collateral for a N500 million loan to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, despite allegedly knowing the funds were proceeds of crime.
The defendants are being prosecuted under several provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011. Investigators, bank officials, real estate agents, and Bureau de Change operators are among those expected to testify in the trial.
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