The Federal High Court has ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe, following their arraignment on a 16-count money laundering charge.
The trio appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, December 30, where they pleaded not guilty to the fresh charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The alleged offences were said to have been committed between 2015 and 2023 — the period covering Malami’s tenure as AGF.
After listening to arguments from both parties, led by Senior Advocates Joseph Daudu for the defence and Ekele Iheneacho for the prosecution, the court ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Prison pending the hearing of their bail applications.
According to the EFCC, the acts under investigation contravene the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, with some of the alleged transactions carried out while Malami served as the nation’s chief law officer.
The remand order follows Malami’s arraignment earlier on December 30 after weeks of legal tussles over bail. He and his co-defendants have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, with the former minister previously insisting the probe is politically motivated.
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