Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), will spend the New Year in custody following a Federal High Court order remanding him at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged money laundering offences involving billions of naira.
Justice Emeka Nwite, sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, also ordered the remand of Malami’s co-defendants—his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and one of his wives, Asabe Bashir—pending the hearing of their bail applications scheduled for January 2, 2026.
The trio were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 16 counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering. They pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired at different times to conceal, retain and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to several billions of naira. The commission claimed the funds were laundered through multiple companies and bank accounts, retained as cash collateral for loans, and used to acquire high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as the nation’s chief law officer, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Following the defendants’ plea, EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheneacho (SAN), requested a trial date and sought time to respond to the bail applications, stating that the prosecution had only just been served.
Defence counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to grant bail orally, arguing that the charges were bailable and that the defendants posed no flight risk.
“These are not capital offences. The defendants are presumed innocent and are not contemplating abscondment,” Daudu said, adding that remanding them during the New Year period would be unjust.
The EFCC opposed the oral bail request, citing Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, and insisted that bail applications must be supported by affidavit evidence.
“The former position of the first defendant should not work in his favour,” Iheneacho argued, stressing that the allegations involved serious economic crimes with broad public interest implications.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite declined to entertain the oral bail application, describing it as procedurally improper.
“It will amount to an ambush for the court to entertain an oral bail application at this stage,” the judge ruled.
He adjourned the matter to January 2, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.