Court Grants ₦500m Bail To Former Attorney General Malami, Wife, Son
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has officially granted bail to the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in the sum of ₦500 million. Malami, who is currently facing a 16-count money laundering charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was granted bail on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe. The court extended the same ₦500 million bail condition to each defendant, requiring two sureties per person in the same amount.
The bail conditions are notably stringent, reflecting the ₦8.7 billion scale of the alleged financial crimes. Justice Nwite ruled that the sureties must be owners of landed property within highbrow Abuja districts—specifically Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa—and these property documents must be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. Additionally, the sureties are required to swear to an affidavit of means and deposit their travel documents, along with two recent passport photographs, with the court registry.
Abubakar Malami and the other defendants have also been directed to surrender their international passports and are strictly barred from leaving the country without prior judicial permission. This ruling followed the defendants’ arraignment on December 29, 2025, during which they pleaded not guilty to charges involving the concealment and disguise of proceeds from unlawful activities through various corporate entities and high-value real estate transactions.
The former minister and his co-defendants will remain remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until their bail conditions are fully perfected. This legal development follows a month-long period of custody, as Malami had been in detention since early December 2025. Justice Nwite has since adjourned the matter to February 17, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.
