A Federal High Court in Abuja, has remanded immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his son, wife (Bashir Asabe) in Kuje Correctional Centre, pending the hearing of their bail applications on account of an alleged N8.7billion fraud.
The remand order was sequel to refusal of the court to grant an oral bail application filed by Malami.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that a substantive bail application had already been formally filed for the defendants.
The court emphasized that granting an oral application at this stage would amount to an ambush on the prosecution, which is yet to respond to the formal bail request.
He declined the oral bail application and adjourned proceedings to January 2, for hearing of the substantive bail application.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, arraigned the immediate past
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over alleged N8.7billion fraud.
Also docked by the anti graft agency was Malami’s son, Abubakar, and Asabe Bashir, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, a company linked to the former AGF.
Malami and his co-accused, who were arraigned on a 16-count charge before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, are being accused of making efforts to conceal illicit origins of multi-billion naira worth of assets in Abuja, Kano and Kebbi.
The EFCC further alleged that Malami and the other defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to N8.7billion.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly used companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of large sums of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
Some of the alleged offences, the Commission said, were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, contrary to provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In count one, Malami and his son, were alleged to have between July 2022 and June 2025, “procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1.14billion, in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities” contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
