Court Orders Remand of Malami, Wife and Son at Kuje Correctional Centre

Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, be held in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre while his bail application is pending, in a development that marks a key moment in a high-profile money laundering case.

Malami was arraigned on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama.

The EFCC accused the trio of laundering a total sum of N8.7 billion, allegedly linked to unlawful financial activities carried out over several years.

The anti-graft agency docked the defendants on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

At the start of proceedings, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, told the court that the matter was strictly for arraignment. “My Lord, this matter is for the arraignment of the defendants on a 16-count charge dated and filed on December 23, 2025. We humbly pray that the charge be read to the defendants and their pleas taken,” he said.

Defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection, prompting Justice Nwite to direct that the charges be read in open court.

One of the charges alleged that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025 in Abuja, used a company to conceal the origin of over N1 billion lodged in a Sterling Bank account, when they “reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities.”

Another count accused Malami, his son and Hajia Asabe of conspiring in September 2024 to disguise more than N1.04 billion paid through a Union Bank account linked to Meethaq Hotels Limited.

The EFCC further alleged that Malami and his son indirectly took control of over N1.36 billion between November 2022 and October 2025, despite knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.

After all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, Iheanacho informed the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed to trial but noted that a bail application filed by the defence had only been served a day earlier. He requested time to respond.

Daudu, however, urged the court to grant bail orally, insisting that the offences were bailable. “My Lord, having listened carefully to the 16-count charge, this is a proper case for an oral application for bail,” he argued, adding that “the offences alleged are bailable, and Section 216 of the ACJA does not mandate that an application for bail must be made in writing.”

The prosecution opposed the request, with Iheanacho describing the oral application as improper. “My Lord, we oppose the oral application for bail. The case of Abiola v. FRN relied upon by learned silk is inapplicable,” he said, stressing that “this is a court of record” and that arguments of counsel could not replace affidavit evidence.

He also urged the court to consider public interest, noting that the charges involved “serious economic crimes involving complex financial networks.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite agreed with the prosecution, holding that it must be given sufficient opportunity to respond to the bail request. “Having listened to the submissions of learned counsel, the prosecution must be allowed adequate opportunity to respond,” the judge ruled.

He consequently ordered that Malami, his wife and son be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to January 2, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.