Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his wife and his son, in the sum of N500 million each, pending the determination of their trial.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, admitted Malami to bail with two sureties in like sum.
The same bail conditions were extended to his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.
The trio is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering involving the sum of N8.7 billion.
In his ruling on the bail application filed by the defendants, Justice Nwite ordered that the two sureties must own landed properties located in Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja. He further directed that the property documents be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
The judge also ordered the sureties to depose to affidavits of means, while Malami was directed to deposit his international passport and other travel documents with the court.
He is not permitted to travel outside the country without the express approval of the court.
Additionally, Malami and his sureties were ordered to submit two recent passport photographs each to the court.
Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the former Attorney General was ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Justice Nwite subsequently fixed February 17, 2026, for the commencement of trial in the matter.
The EFCC has filed a 16-count charge against Malami, his son and his wife.
In one of the counts, the anti-graft agency alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of N1,014,848,500 lodged in a Sterling Bank Plc account, funds which they allegedly knew, or ought reasonably to have known, were proceeds of unlawful activities.
In another count, the commission alleged that Malami, his son and his wife conspired in September 2024 to disguise the unlawful origin of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024.
The EFCC further accused Malami and his son of indirectly taking control of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and October 2025, knowing the funds to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and are expected to stand trial as scheduled once the bail conditions are perfected.
