Court grants ex-AGF Malami, wife and son N1.5bn bail over alleged N9bn money laundering

By Johnson Arua

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail totaling N1.5 billion to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in an ongoing money laundering trial.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, the court admitted Malami and his son to bail in the sum of N1 billion, while his wife was granted bail in the sum of N500 million.

Justice Nwite ordered that each defendant must produce two sureties in like sum, who must be owners of landed properties in Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The court directed that title documents of the properties be submitted for verification.

The defendants were also ordered to surrender their international passports, while the sureties are to submit two recent passport photographs and depose to affidavits of means. The court further warned that the defendants must not travel outside the country without prior permission.

Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the court ordered that the defendants remain in custody. The matter was adjourned to February 17 for commencement of trial.

Malami, who served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.

He was arraigned alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Asabe, who was identified as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, a company allegedly used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through property transactions.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the defendants laundered public funds amounting to about N9 billion.

According to the anti-graft agency, the former Justice Minister allegedly acquired high-value properties in Abuja, Kebbi and Kano states in a bid to conceal the proceeds of crime.

EFCC further told the court that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants allegedly used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account.

They were also accused of using the same company to siphon about N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021.

Additionally, the prosecution alleged that the defendants retained N600 million in March 2021 as cash collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Limited from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly knowing that the funds were proceeds of crime.

The alleged acts, EFCC said, contravened various provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011. The prosecution disclosed that investigators, bank officials, real estate agents and Bureau de Change operators are among witnesses billed to testify in the trial.