Alleged N8.7bn Money Laundering: Court Sends Malami, Wife, Son Back to Prison.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu Democracy Newsline Newspaper
February 27, 2026
In a dramatic turn of events at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, February 27, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered the remand of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, in correctional facilities pending the hearing and determination of fresh bail applications.
The decision marks a significant moment in one of the most closely watched financial crime trials in recent years, as the former chief law officer of the federation now finds himself on the other side of the justice system he once supervised.
Remand in Separate Correctional Centres
Following their re-arraignment, the court directed that Malami and his son, listed as the first and third defendants respectively, be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre. His wife, the second defendant, was ordered to be held at the Suleja Medium Correctional Centre.
- Advertisement -
The re-arraignment was initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following the reassignment of the case from Justice Emeka Nwite to Justice Abdulmalik. The anti-graft agency had earlier filed an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering alleged proceeds of unlawful activities totaling N8,713,923,759.49.
According to court documents, the charges were brought pursuant to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The prosecution alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of N1,014,848,500.00 lodged in a Sterling Bank Plc account, funds they allegedly knew or reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activities.
Another count accuses the trio 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. Count six further alleges that Malami and his son indirectly took control of N1,362,887,872.96 paid into the same company’s savings account over a nearly three-year period.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel, Chief J.S. Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was appearing before Justice Abdulmalik for the first time. He sought leave to amend numerical discrepancies in Counts 11 and 12 to align the figures with the amounts already written in words. Defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection but urged the prosecution to formally apply.
The court granted the amendment, clearing the way for the amended charges to be read. The defendants each entered a plea of “not guilty” to all 16 counts.
A significant legal contest emerged over the status of the defendants’ earlier bail. Defence counsel argued that when the matter was first heard before Justice Emeka Nwite, bail had been granted and conditions perfected. He maintained that the Federal High Court, being a single institution, should allow the bail to subsist despite the reassignment.
Prosecution counsel acknowledged the earlier bail and conceded that Federal High Courts are one. However, he argued that the presiding judge retained discretion to either adopt the previous bail terms or impose fresh conditions to guarantee the defendants’ attendance.
In a carefully reasoned ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that the previous bail had effectively lapsed with the reassignment of the case. She directed that fresh bail applications be filed before her court. An oral bail application made by the defence was rejected, with the court emphasizing the gravity of the allegations and the need for a formal application.
“I am of the view that the earlier bail has been terminated. In that wise, I order that fresh bail applications be filed before this court,” the judge ruled.
The case has generated widespread public interest given Malami’s former role as Attorney General of the Federation, where he oversaw federal prosecutions and advised the government on legal matters. His tenure was often marked by controversy and high-profile legal battles, and this prosecution now places him at the center of allegations involving billions of naira in alleged illicit financial flows.
Legal analysts say the court’s insistence on fresh bail applications underscores judicial caution in high-stakes financial crime cases, particularly where the sums involved are substantial and the defendants are politically exposed persons.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until March 6, 2026, for the hearing of the bail applications and commencement of trial. She also directed the prosecution to grant the defence team unhindered access to the defendants to enable adequate preparation.
As the trial unfolds, it is expected to test not only the strength of the EFCC’s case but also public confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework. For now, the former AGF and his family await the court’s decision from behind correctional walls, maintaining their innocence as the legal battle intensifies.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, FEBRUARY 27TH 2026)
