Abubakar Malami, his wife and son granted N500m bail each in N8.7bn EFCC money laundering trial
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, his wife Asabe Bashir, and their son Abdulaziz Malami in a high-profile N8.7 billion money laundering trial.
Also read: Court grants Malami ₦500m bail amid strict conditions
Judge Emeka Nwite set the bail at N500 million for each defendant. Once the conditions are met, their nearly one-month detention in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Kuje Correctional Centre will end.
Malami was first detained by the EFCC on 8 December 2025 and later transferred to Kuje following his arraignment on 30 December.
His wife and son were detained on 23 December and remanded alongside him after arraignment.
The trio faces 16 counts of money laundering, including allegations of retaining proceeds from unlawful activities and acquiring assets with suspicious funds.
They have denied all charges.
Defence counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joseph Daudu, had sought bail shortly after their arraignment.
The EFCC, represented by SAN Ekele Iheanacho, opposed the request, citing the seriousness of the charges and potential interference with witnesses.
The court initially remanded the defendants to allow the prosecution time to formally respond.
The bail application was heard on 2 January, with the judge adjourning the ruling until 7 January, when bail was finally granted.
Malami served as AGF during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration between 2015 and 2023.
Also read: Federal High court orders Malami remand in Kuje prison over laundering
The case remains ongoing, with the court expected to continue hearing arguments on the substantive charges in the coming weeks.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
