The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ordered that a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
The court also directed that his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, who are listed as co-defendants in the case, be held at the same correctional facility.
The order was made by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, after listening to submissions from both the defence and the prosecution. The defence team was led by Joseph Daudu (SAN), while the prosecution was represented by Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).
Malami and the other defendants are facing a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly worked together at different times to hide, keep, and disguise proceeds believed to be from unlawful activities, with the sums involved running into several billions of naira.
Court documents state that the alleged offences occurred over a number of years and involved the use of companies and bank accounts to move funds, the keeping of large amounts of cash as loan security, and the purchase of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano, and other locations.
The commission further claimed that some of the alleged acts took place while Malami was serving as the country’s chief law officer, in violation of existing money laundering laws, including the Money Laundering Act of 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering Act of 2022.
The case has been adjourned, with the court expected to fix a date for the hearing of the bail applications. Further details are expected as proceedings continue.