Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in the sum of N500 million, with two sureties in like sum, pending his trial.
Malami, alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering involving N8.7 billion.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday on the bail applications filed by the defendants, Justice Nwite ordered that the two sureties must own landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja.
The court further directed that the property documents be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar, while the sureties are to depose to affidavits of means.
The court also ordered Malami to deposit his travel documents with the registry and restrained him from travelling outside Nigeria without the express permission of the court.
In addition, Malami and his sureties are to submit two recent passport photographs each to the court.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the former AGF was ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
After delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to February 17, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
The same bail conditions were extended to Malami’s son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir.
The EFCC has filed a 16-count charge against the defendants.
In count one, the anti-graft agency alleged that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025 in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of N1,014,848,500 lodged in a Sterling Bank Plc account, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In count five, the EFCC alleged that Malami, his son and Hajia Asabe Bashir conspired in September 2024 to disguise the unlawful origin of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024.
Count six further alleged that Malami and his son, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, funds which they reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activities.
