The former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his son, Abdulaziz, on Wednesday secured bail in the sum of N1 billion from the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
In the ruling delivered by trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, the court also granted bail to Malami’s wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, who is also standing trial, in the sum of N500 million.
The court directed that each of the defendants must produce two sureties in the same amount, and that such sureties must be property owners in either Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the judge, in addition to submitting the title documents of the listed properties for verification, the defendants are required to surrender their international passports.
Furthermore, the court ordered that the sureties must provide two recent passport photographs and also depose to an affidavit of means.
The court cautioned that the defendants must not leave the country without formal authorisation.
It further ruled that they shall remain in prison custody until they fully meet and perfect the bail conditions issued by the court.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to February 17 for continuation of the trial.
Malami, who held the office of Justice Minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
He was arraigned alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Asabe, who was described as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited — a company alleged to have been used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through property transactions.
The defendants are accused of laundering an estimated N9 billion in public funds.
According to the anti-corruption agency, the former Minister allegedly acquired several high-value properties in different locations, including Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano, as a means of concealing the suspected proceeds of crime.
The EFCC informed the court that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants allegedly used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide more than N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account.
They were also alleged to have diverted approximately N600 million through the same company between September 2020 and February 2021.
Similarly, the EFCC stated that the defendants retained N600 million in March 2021 as cash collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Ltd from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly being aware that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The defendants are alleged to have violated multiple provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Individuals listed to testify against them include investigators, officials from commercial banks, real estate practitioners, and Bureau de Change operators.
