Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubarkar Malami, his wife, and his son Abdulaziz Malami have all received awards from the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the alleged N8.7 billion money laundering case brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Judge Emeka Nwite on Wednesday granted each of them N500 million in bail. Mr. Malami has been detained by the EFCC and the Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, for 31 days; if the bail requirements are met, his incarceration will terminate. After his arraignment, the court moved him to the Correctional Centre in Kuje, Abuja, after the EFCC kept him from December 8 to December 30, 2025.
His wife and kid were initially held by the EFCC between December 23 and December 30, when they were arraigned and then remanded in prison with Mr. Malami. As of Wednesday, they had spent 16 days in captivity.
Along with one of his wives, Ms. Bashir, and their son, Abdulaziz, Mr. Malami, the AGF under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, is on trial for 16 counts of money laundering totalling around N8.7 billion. The EFCC accused them of the allegations of illegally acquiring assets with money from dubious sources and keeping the proceeds of illegal activity.
All 16 counts were denied by them. Shortly after the defendants' arraignment on December 30, defence attorney Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), attempted to move an oral application for their bail. However, the prosecution, represented by SAN Ekele Iheanacho, objected to the request and requested more time to make a formal response.
The judge ruled that since the application had been served with the written request, allowing the oral application would violate the prosecution's right to a fair trial. The defendants were then placed under remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, per his order.
On January 2, the bail hearing was finally held. Defence attorneys urged the court to grant bail on lenient terms throughout the hearing, arguing that the charges were subject to bail. Citing the seriousness of the accusations and the possibility of interfering with witnesses, the EFCC rejected the application. Kuje prison officials sent Mr. Malami, his wife, and kid back to prison after the judge postponed making a decision on the bail application until today, January 7.