A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his son and wife, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged money laundering offences amounting to several billions of naira.
The order was made on Tuesday by Justice Emeka Nwite after Malami, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their plea, EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, requested that the court fix a date for trial and asked for time to respond to the bail application already filed by the defence, noting that the application was only served on the prosecution the previous day.
Counsel to the defendants, Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to grant bail, arguing that he could make an oral bail application in line with an earlier Supreme Court decision. However, Justice Nwite ruled that it would be unfair to grant bail before the prosecution had the opportunity to respond formally to the written application.
In his ruling, the judge said granting bail at that stage would amount to an ambush against the prosecution and violate its right to a fair hearing. He therefore ordered that Malami, his son, and his wife be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their bail applications, which was adjourned to January 2.
According to the EFCC, the charges against the defendants relate to alleged acts of concealing, retaining, transferring, and disguising proceeds of unlawful activities between 2015 and 2025 through various companies, bank accounts, and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi State.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over ₦1 billion between 2022 and 2025, as well as ₦600 million between 2020 and 2021, funds which the commission claims were proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC further alleged that ₦600 million was retained as cash collateral for a ₦500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Limited, and that several luxury properties in Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, Jabi, Gwarimpa, and other highbrow areas of Abuja were acquired using illicit funds.
Other counts involve alleged payments of ₦700 million, ₦850 million, ₦430 million, ₦325 million, ₦210 million, ₦120 million, and several other sums for properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi State, including hotels, luxury duplexes, plazas, residential buildings, and large parcels of land.
The EFCC also accused Malami, his son, and his wife—who is described as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd—of conspiring at different times to conceal the origin of the funds and indirectly acquire properties on behalf of the former attorney-general.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The case has been adjourned to January 2 for the hearing of the bail applications, while the defendants remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
