A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and two members of his family in an alleged money laundering case involving about nine billion naira.
Justice Emeka Nwite admitted Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, to bail in the sum of one billion naira each.
The court also granted bail to Malami’s wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in the sum of five hundred million naira.
Each defendant is to provide two sureties in the same amounts.
The sureties must own landed property in Abuja, specifically in Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa.
The judge ordered that the title documents of the properties be submitted for verification.
He also directed the defendants to surrender their international passports.
Justice Nwite ruled that the defendants must not travel outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
They are to remain in custody until all bail conditions are fully met.
The case was adjourned until February 17 for trial.
Malami served as Nigeria’s attorney general and minister of justice between November 2015 and May 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He is facing a 16 count charge alongside his wife and son.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants laundered public funds totalling about nine billion naira through property acquisitions in Abuja, Kebbi and Kano states.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told the court that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants allegedly used a firm, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal more than one billion naira in a Sterling Bank account.
They were also accused of siphoning about six hundred million naira through the same company between September 2020 and February 2021.
The EFCC further alleged that in March 2021, the defendants retained six hundred million naira as cash collateral for a loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Limited, knowing the funds were proceeds of crime.
Investigators, bank officials, real estate agents and bureau de change operators are expected to testify during the trial.
