The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail to the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his son, Abdulaziz and spouse, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in the sum of N1.5bn over allegations of money laundering.
In a ruling delivered by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, ordered that each defendant must produce two sureties in like sum, with the sureties required to be owners of landed property in Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa areas of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also further directed the defendants to submit the title documents of the properties for verification and to surrender their international passports. The sureties were also ordered to provide two recent passport photographs each and swear to affidavits of means.
The court also additionally ruled that the defendants must not travel outside the country without prior approval of the court and ordered that they remain in custody until all bail conditions are fully met.
The case was adjourned to February 17 for the commencement of the trial.
Malami, who served as Attorney-General of the Federation 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 Malami, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, who was identified in court as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, a company alleged to have been used to launder proceeds of unlawful activities through property transactions.
The charges, according to the prosecution, relate to the alleged movement and concealment of illicit funds through high-value real estate dealings.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on December 18, 2025, had upheld the continued detention of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), by the EFCC.
Malami has been in EFCC custody since December 8, after he reportedly failed to meet the bail conditions set by the commission.
Justice Babangida Hassan dismissed Malami’s application seeking bail from the custody of the anti-graft agency, ruling that his detention was lawful.
“In his ruling, Justice Hassan held, quoting Section 35 of the Constitution, that since there was a provision in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, for detention, Malami was lawfully detained by the Remand Order of the court.
“Asking this court to grant this application is tantamount to inviting the court to sit as an appellate court over an application made by a court of coordinate jurisdiction, which the court has no power to do,” he said.
