The Federal High Court has ordered the remand of former Attorney and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN; his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe, following their arraignment on a 16-count money laundering charge.
Malami arrived at the court alongside his son and another defendant (wife), as the EFCC filed a sixteen-count charge against them.
The trio appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, December 30, where they pleaded not guilty to a fresh 16-count charge of money laundering filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Following their plea and after hearing arguments from both the defence team (led by Joseph Daudu, SAN) and the prosecution (led by Ekele Iheneacho, SAN), the judge ordered their immediate remand in Kuje Prison pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications.
The EFCC alleges that between 2015 and 2023 a period covering Malami’s entire tenure as AGF,
The alleged offences are said to violate the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, with some acts purportedly committed while Malami held the position of chief law officer of the federation.
This remand order follows Malami’s arraignment earlier on December 30, after weeks of prior detention and legal battles over bail conditions with the EFCC. The former AGF and his co-defendants have consistently denied the allegations, with Malami previously describing aspects of the probe as politically motivated.