The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, in the sum of N500 million each.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered on Wednesday, held that the arguments presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in opposing the bail applications were not strong enough to deny the defendants bail, describing them as largely speculative.
The judge ordered that each defendant must provide two sureties in the like sum, who must be property owners in Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa within the Federal Capital Territory. He directed that the title documents of the properties be verified by the Deputy Registrar (Litigation) of the court.
Justice Nwite further ordered the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court registrar and barred them from travelling outside the country without prior court approval. Both the defendants and their sureties are also required to submit two passport photographs each, while the residential addresses of the sureties must be verified by the court.
Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, the court ordered that the defendants remain at the Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres. The matter was adjourned to January 17 for the commencement of trial.
The EFCC had arraigned Malami, his wife, and son on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering and concealment of proceeds of unlawful activity. The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants engaged in suspicious financial transactions and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states between 2015 and 2025.
According to the charges, the EFCC accused the defendants of conspiring to disguise the origin of billions of naira through multiple bank accounts and corporate entities, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022. Malami served as Attorney-General of the Federation during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
