A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abdulaziz Malami, bail in the sum of ₦500 million, alongside his wife and son, over alleged money laundering offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, imposed stringent bail conditions, ordering that each defendant must provide two sureties in like sum. The sureties are required to own landed property in Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa, three high-value districts in the Federal Capital Territory.
The court further directed that the title documents of the properties be submitted and verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. In addition, all sureties must swear to an affidavit of means.
Justice Nwite also ordered Malami, his wife, and son to deposit their international travel documents with the court and barred them from travelling outside Nigeria without prior court approval. Each defendant and their sureties are also to submit two recent passport photographs to the court registry.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, Malami was ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The court fixed February 17 for the commencement of trial in the matter.
The case stems from a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing Malami, his wife, and his son of engaging in money laundering transactions estimated at about ₦9 billion.
Malami has been in EFCC custody since December 8, after allegedly failing to meet the administrative bail conditions set by the anti-graft agency. On December 18, 2025, the FCT High Court upheld his continued detention.
In an earlier ruling, Justice Babangida Hassan dismissed Malami’s application for bail, holding that his detention was lawful under Section 35 of the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). The judge ruled that granting bail would amount to sitting on appeal over a decision of a court of coordinate jurisdiction, which the court lacked the power to do.
The prosecution maintains that the alleged offences involve large-scale financial transactions carried out through accounts linked to Malami and members of his family.
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