By John Umeh
Government News Correspondent
The Federal High Court Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, who is facing a major money laundering case alongside members of his family.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Friday approved bail for Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Hajia Bashir Asabe, after they were re-arraigned on a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The trio is accused of laundering public funds amounting to about ₦9 billion.
Bail Conditions
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik granted each defendant bail in the sum of ₦200 million, bringing the combined bail to ₦600 million.
The court also ordered that each defendant must provide two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties, according to the court, must present title documents of a property located in either Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja, two high-value districts within the Abuja.
Additionally, the defendants were directed to surrender their international passports and are barred from travelling outside the country without court approval.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the three defendants would remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until the bail conditions are fully met.
Why the Defendants Were Remanded
The court had earlier ordered their remand on February 27 after rejecting the bail conditions previously granted when the case was first handled by vacation judge Emeka Nwite.
Following the re-arraignment, the judge ruled that the matter had started afresh (de novo) before her, meaning the earlier proceedings and bail terms could not automatically apply.
Allegations by EFCC
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Malami and the other defendants allegedly used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal over ₦1.01 billion in an account with Sterling Bank between July 2022 and June 2025.
Investigators also claimed the same firm was used to divert about ₦600 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
Another allegation states that the defendants retained ₦600 million as cash collateral in March 2021 to secure a ₦500 million loan for Rayhaan Hotels Limited, despite allegedly knowing the funds were proceeds of crime.
The anti-graft agency said these actions violated several provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.
Additional Charges
Aside from the EFCC case, Malami is also facing a separate five-count charge related to terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms, filed by the Department of State Services against him and his son.
The former minister served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari between November 2015 and May 2023.
Trial Date
The court adjourned the case to March 16, when the trial is expected to formally begin, with investigators, bank officials, real estate agents, and Bureau de Change operators listed among potential witnesses.
