Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Friday ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, in correctional facilities pending the determination of fresh bail applications.
Malami and his son, the first and third defendants, were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while Asabe, the second defendant, was ordered to be held at the Suleja Medium Correctional Centre.
The trio were re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering alleged proceeds of unlawful activities totalling N8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The case was reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik following its transfer from Justice Emeka Nwite of the same court.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel, Chief J.S. Okutepa, SAN, sought leave to amend counts 11 and 12 to correct numerical values so they align with figures already stated in words. Defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, did not oppose the correction but urged the prosecution to formally apply. The court granted the request.
One of the counts alleges that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025 in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal N1,014,848,500 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, funds prosecutors claim were proceeds of unlawful activities.
Another count accuses the three defendants of conspiring in September 2024 to disguise the origin of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024.
A separate charge alleges that Malami and his son indirectly took control of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through a Union Bank savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and October 2025.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all 16 counts.
Following the plea, the prosecution requested a trial date and asked that the defendants be remanded in custody. The defence argued that the defendants had earlier been granted bail by Justice Nwite and had complied with all conditions, urging the court to allow the existing bail to subsist.
While the prosecution acknowledged the earlier bail, it maintained that the court had discretion to adopt the previous terms or impose fresh conditions to ensure attendance.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that the earlier bail was extinguished by the reassignment of the case and directed that fresh bail applications be filed. An oral application for bail by the defence was rejected, with the court insisting on a formal written motion, citing the gravity of the allegations.
The judge also directed the prosecution to grant defence counsel access to the defendants to facilitate trial preparation and adjourned proceedings to March 6, 2026, for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.
