The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who is being prosecuted over an alleged N9 billion money laundering case alongside members of his family.
Malami is standing trial with his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Hajia Bashir Asabe, over accusations that they laundered public funds amounting to about N9 billion.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted the three defendants to bail in the sum of N200 million each, with two sureties in like sum.
The court had earlier, on February 27, ordered their remand in prison custody after they were re-arraigned on a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Abdulmalik declined to adopt the bail conditions that had previously been granted to them on January 7 by Justice Emeka Nwite, who initially handled the case as a vacation judge.
Following the defendants’ plea of not guilty, their counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, urged the court to allow them to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Nwite.
However, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, acknowledged that the defendants had fulfilled the earlier bail terms but maintained that their re-arraignment gave the court the discretion to determine whether the bail should still stand.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik noted that the matter had begun afresh before her, explaining that the proceedings conducted by Justice Nwite had legally come to an end.
She subsequently directed the defendants to submit a fresh bail application, which the court granted on Friday.
As part of the conditions attached to the bail, the judge ordered that one of the sureties must present title documents for a property located in either Maitama or Asokoro districts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The court also directed the defendants to surrender their international passports and barred them from travelling outside the country without the court’s permission.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that the defendants would remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until the bail conditions are fully met.
The case was adjourned to March 16 for the commencement of trial.
Earlier, the court had granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500 million each with two sureties in the same amount.
According to the EFCC, Malami, who served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from November 11, 2015 to May 29, 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, allegedly acquired high-value properties across Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano in a bid to conceal proceeds of crime.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal more than N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account.
They were also accused of using the same company to divert about N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
In addition, the EFCC told the court that the defendants retained N600 million in March 2021 as cash collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by another firm, Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly knowing that the funds were proceeds of crime.
The commission said the actions contravened 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 case.
Meanwhile, the former AGF is also facing a separate five-count charge bordering on terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms filed by the Department of State Services against him and his son.
Malami was earlier arrested and detained by the DSS after he had fulfilled the bail conditions in the EFCC case, but was later released from custody.
