Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, is set to reappear in court today, the 2nd of January, 2026, as proceedings resume in the ongoing ₦9 billion corruption case instituted against them by the Federal Government.
Malami, his son, and a third defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe an employee of Ramadiya Property Limited who is currently being held at the Kuje Correctional Centre are expected before the Federal High Court in Abuja from custody to continue their push for bail.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, had earlier scheduled today for the hearing of their bail applications following their arraignment on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
At the previous sitting, all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the Federal Government.
During that session, defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, made an oral application seeking bail for the defendants. He argued that after reviewing the charges and the relevant legal provisions, an oral application was sufficient, noting that the, “only condition where one needed a written application is where it is a capital offence.”
Daudu further maintained that the alleged offences were bailable, stating, “The offences of money laundering are bailable offences. The charges are not complicated, they are bailable and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court”, and urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of his clients.
However, the EFCC, through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, strongly opposed the oral bail request. He argued that Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) clearly outlines factors the court must consider before granting bail.
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According to him, “Those factors can only come into the court through affidavit evidence and to determine whether to grant bail or not, both the prosecution and the defense would be given the opportunity to state their facts and these facts belong to the witnesses,” insisting that a written application was necessary.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite declined the oral bail request and directed both the prosecution and defence to return today to argue a formal written bail application.
The EFCC had earlier arraigned the former justice minister and the two other defendants before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on the 16-count money laundering charge.