Malami and his son were each granted N1 billion bail, while his wife received N500 million, the court ruled on Wednesday
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in a high-profile money laundering case.
Malami and his son were each granted N1 billion bail, while his wife received N500 million, the court ruled on Wednesday.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that each defendant must present two sureties of equal value, who must own landed property in the Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The title documents of the properties must be submitted for verification.
The court also directed that the defendants surrender their passports and that the sureties provide two recent passport photographs along with an affidavit of means.
Justice Nwite warned that the defendants must remain in custody until bail conditions are perfected and are barred from travelling abroad without the court’s permission.
The trial was adjourned to February 17.
Malami, who served as Justice Minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, faces 16 counts of money laundering.
His wife, listed as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, and his son were arraigned alongside him.
The company is alleged to have been used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through property transactions.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the defendants of laundering about N9 billion. Investigators claimed Malami acquired properties in Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano to hide the proceeds.
EFCC further alleged that the defendants used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited between July 2022 and June 2025 to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account and siphoned about N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021 through the same company.
They were also said to have retained N600 million in March 2021 as cash collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Ltd from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly knowing the funds were proceeds of crime.
The defendants are accused of breaching several provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, with bank officials, real estate agents, Bureau de Change operators, and investigators expected to testify against them.
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