By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The bail application battle of the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, and his wife, Bashir Asabe has resumed with the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixing January 7 as the day to rule on his bail application and that of the two others which were filed before the court.
When the matter was mentioned on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite set the date after counsel for the defence, Joseph Daudu, SAN, and counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, adopted their processes and presented their arguments.
The Daily Crucible reports that the EFCC, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, named the ex-minister, his wife, and son as the first, second, and third defendants respectively in a money laundering case.
The Daily Crucible reports further that the Federal High Court had on Tuesday December 30, 2025 remanded Abubakar Malami, SAN, in prison custody.
The court ordered that Malami should remain in Kuje prison till today, January 2, 2026, when his formal request for bail would be looked into.
Also remanded alongside the former AGF who is facing a 16-count money laundering charge are his son Abdulaziz, and an accomplice, Hajia Bashir Asabe, wife.
Trial Justice Emeka Nwite issued the remand order after he refused an oral bail application the defendants made through their lawyers led by Mr J. B. Daudu, SAN.
The court hinged the reason for the refusal on the need to allow the EFCC, which opposed their release on bail, to file its counter-affidavit.
The defendants were accused of laundering public funds totalling about N9 billion, and by that action, allegedly breached Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended and punishable under Section 15(3).
The anti – graft agency alleged that the former minister used stolen funds to acquire choice properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and other cities between July 2022 and June 2025 during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The agency also claimed that Malami and others used a firm – Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited – to conceal over N1.01bn in a Sterling Bank account.
When the matter was mentioned on Friday, January 2, Justice Emeka Nwite set the January 7 date after counsel for the defence, Joseph Daudu, SAN, and counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, had adopted their processes and presented their arguments.
The court subsequently adjourned till January 7.
The Daily Crucible reports that some of the counts in the charge against the former AGF and others read: “That you Abubakar Malami SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami between July 2022 and June, 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1, 014, 848, 500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities and you thereby committed 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.
“That you, Abubakar Malami SAN, whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between September 2020 and February 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N600,013,460.4 in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you, Abubakar Malami SAN, whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, sometime in March, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did retain the total sum of N600,000,000.00 in Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as cash collateral for a loan of N500,000,000.00 granted to RAYHAAN HOTELS LTD by Sterling Bank Plc when you reasonably ought to have known that the said cash collateral of N600,000,000.00 was the proceeds of unlawful activities, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended, punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited sometime in November, 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did indirectly disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N500,000,000.00 paid to Efab Properties Ltd paid for purchase of property known as luxury duplex at Amazon street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone A06 Maitama District, Abuja in favour of Abubakar Malami SAN when you reasonably ought to have known that the said N500million formed proceed of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2) (a) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
