JUST IN: Court to rule on Malami, wife, son’s bail Jan 7
In a significant legal development on Friday, January 2, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja set a date to decide whether the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, along with his wife and son, will be granted bail. Justice Emeka Nwite scheduled the ruling for January 7, 2026, following the formal adoption of arguments by both the defense and prosecution teams.
The former minister, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Bashir Asabe, are facing a 16-count money laundering charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency alleges that the trio conspired to conceal and disguise the origin of approximately N8.7 billion through a complex network of corporate entities, bank accounts, and luxury property acquisitions. These transactions reportedly took place between 2015 and 2025, spanning Malami’s tenure as Nigeria’s chief law officer.
During the hearing, the lead defense counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, argued for the release of his clients, while the EFCC’s counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, presented the commission’s opposition to the bail request. The court has ordered that the three defendants remain in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre until the ruling next Wednesday.
The EFCC’s investigation into the family involves properties across Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi, with specific allegations that they used companies like Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited and Meethaq Hotels Limited to move and retain illicit funds. The commission maintains that these actions constitute a grave violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Acts of 2011 and 2022
