Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum, pending the determination of his trial.
Malami, alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, is standing trial over alleged money laundering involving N8.7 billion, following charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ruling on the bail application brought by the defendants on Wednesday, Justice Nwite ordered that the two sureties must each own landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa areas of Abuja.
The judge further ruled that the title documents of the properties must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, while the sureties are also required to depose to an affidavit of means.
As part of the bail conditions, Malami was ordered to deposit his travelling documents with the court and must not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court. In addition, the former AGF and his sureties were directed to submit two recent passport photographs each to the court.
However, Justice Nwite ordered that Malami be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
After delivering the ruling on the bail application, the trial judge fixed 17 February 2026 for the commencement of trial in the matter. The same bail conditions were also extended to Malami’s son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir.
The EFCC had filed a 16-count charge against Malami, his son and his wife, accusing them of various money laundering offences.
In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged:
“You Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when they reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
Count five of the charge reads:
“That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act.”
Count six further alleged:
“That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when they reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are expected to face full trial when proceedings commence in February 2026.
