A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, ordered that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the consideration of his bail request.
The court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered that one of the wives of Malami, Bashir Asabe and his son, Abubakar be remanded in prison custody.
Justice Nwite, who gave the order after listening to arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, and the prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheneacho, SAN, said the defendants be remanded in prison pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications.
Counsel to Malami, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had made an oral application for bail, but the EFCC opposed it and urged the court to reject it.
Malami, his wife and son are facing a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is accusing them of money laundering.
The EFCC told the court that the defendants worked together over several years to hide and move large sums of money, using companies and accounts to disguise the source of the funds.
The charges by the EFCC also include allegedly keeping cash as collateral for loans and buying expensive properties in Abuja, Kano and other places.
The EFCC also alleged that some of the offences took place while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in clear violation of the Money Laundering laws of 2011 and 2022.
Malami pleaded not guilty to the 16-count money laundering charge filed against him by the EFCC just as his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe, had also pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The anti-graft agency further told the court that the defendants conspired to conceal, retain, and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to several billion naira.
The EFCC also alleged that the offences spanned several years, involving the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds and acquire high-value properties in Abuja, Kano, and other locations.
Details of the Charge according to the EFCC included Malami and his son of using Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account and also concealed over N600 million through the same company between September 2020 and February 2021.
The EFCC also claimed that Malami allegedly retained N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million loan granted to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd by Sterling Bank, despite knowing the funds were proceeds of crime.
The case will proceed to trial as the EFCC said it was set to present witnesses, including commission staff members, bank representatives, and financial experts.
