A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed February 17 for the trial of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and two others on alleged money laundering charges.
Justice Emeka Nwite on Wednesday also granted Malami, his son, Abdulaziz, and wife, Asabe Bashir, to N500 million bail bond each and two sureties, each in like sum.
Justice Nwite ordered that the two sureties must have landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa.
The judge further directed that the documents of the properties are to be verified by the deputy chief registrar of the court while the sureties are also to depose to affidavit of means.
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The judge said Malami is to deposit his travelling documents with the Court and must not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.
Besides, the former AGF and his sureties were also ordered to deposit their two recent passport photograph with the court.
Meanwhile, the judge ordered Malami to be remanded in Nigerian Correctional Service in Kuje, FCT, pending his perfection of the bail conditions.
At the time of this report, business associates, friends and sympathizers of the former Minister of Justice have been ruling round to secure bail for Malami.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a 16-count money laundering charge against Malami, his son and his wife, Asabe Bashir, a staff of Rahamanniyya Properties Ltd.
In the charges, Malami was alleged to have, between July 2022 and June 2025 procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500 in the Sterling Bank PLC account number 0079182387, and used the same company to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N600,013,460.4 in the same bank account.
Malami was further alleged to have, in March 2021, used the deposited sum as collateral for N500m loan to Rahaan Hotels Ltd from the bank, among other allegations contained in the charge sheet.
