Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has been ordered to remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre until early next year. Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued the remand order on Tuesday after Malami was arraigned alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, and Hajia Bashir Asabe. The defendants are facing a 16-count charge related to money laundering and the alleged concealment of illicit funds.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleges that Malami and his co-defendants engaged in a series of financial crimes between 2020 and 2025. According to the charge sheet, the group conspired to disguise the origin of huge sums of money and acquired various properties indirectly. The commission specifically pointed to a transaction where Malami and his son allegedly used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide over 1 billion Naira in a commercial bank account.
Further allegations by the anti-graft agency suggest that the defendants used 600 million Naira as collateral for a private hotel loan while knowing the money came from unlawful activities. The EFCC also claims that in late 2022, the trio disguised 500 million Naira to purchase a luxury duplex in the Maitama area of Abuja. These actions are said to violate the Money Laundering Prohibition and Prevention Acts of 2011 and 2022.
During the hearing, all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts. Following their plea, the lead defense counsel, Joseph Daudu, urged the court to grant his clients bail through an oral application. He cited a well-known 1995 legal case to support his request for immediate release. However, the move was met with strong opposition from the prosecution team led by Ekele Iheanacho.
The prosecution argued that they had only received the formal bail application late the previous day and required more time to file a written response. Iheanacho insisted that the court should follow the standard legal procedure to allow the EFCC to address the issues raised by the defense. He then requested a formal trial date to be set for the commencement of the case.
Justice Nwite ultimately rejected the request for immediate bail, describing the oral application as a potential “ambush” on the prosecution. The judge held that while the court has the power to grant bail, it must ensure a fair hearing for both the defense and the state. He noted that since a written application had already been served on the EFCC, the commission must be allowed to respond as required by law.
The judge emphasized that bypassing the prosecution’s right to respond would be a breach of legal process. He maintained that the interest of justice is best served when both parties have the opportunity to present their arguments fully. Consequently, the court ruled that the defendants must remain in prison while the legal paperwork is completed.
This ruling means Malami and his son will remain in Kuje prison through the end of the year. The court has adjourned the matter until January 2, 2026, when the bail applications will be formally heard. The case has drawn significant attention as it involves one of the highest-ranking legal officers from the previous administration.
