Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, sets the bail at N500 million each, totaling N1.5 billion for the three defendants.
The trio is facing a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bordering on money laundering and the illicit acquisition of properties valued at approximately N9 billion.
As part of the stringent bail conditions, each defendant must provide two sureties who are owners of landed property in the high-brow Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja. Justice Nwite ordered the defendants to surrender their international passports and travel documents to the court registry, explicitly barring them from traveling outside Nigeria without judicial permission.
Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Registrar is tasked with verifying the property documents, and sureties must depose to an affidavit of means. The EFCC’s investigation, which intensified in late 2025, alleges that Malami and his family members used various corporate entities to conceal the origins of illicit funds.
Specifically, the charge includes allegations that they procured a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to hide over N1.014 billion between 2022 and 2025. Other counts link Malami to the acquisition of luxury duplexes, hotels, and schools across Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states, which investigators claim were purchased with proceeds of crime during his tenure as AGF from 2015 to 2023.
Malami has been in EFCC custody since December 8, 2025, after several earlier attempts to secure bail from the commission and the FCT High Court were denied. Despite the new bail ruling, the former minister has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while his wife and son are to be held in Suleja and Kuje respectively, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The court has scheduled the commencement of the formal trial for February 17, 2026, where the EFCC is expected to call witnesses including bank officials and financial experts.
 and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami.The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, sets the bail at N500 million each, totaling N1.5 billion for the three defendants.){kind=link}