A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail totalling N1.5 billion to former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, over alleged money laundering offences.
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‎Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, admitted Malami and his son to bail in the sum of N1 billion, while his wife was granted bail in the sum of N500 million.
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‎The judge ordered that each of the defendants must provide two sureties in the like sum, who must be owners of landed properties located in either Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
‎Justice Nwite further directed that the defendants and their sureties must submit title documents of the properties for verification by the court registry.
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‎The court also ordered the defendants to surrender their international travel passports and warned them not to travel outside the country without the court’s permission.
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‎In addition, the sureties are required to submit two recent passport photographs and depose to an affidavit of means.
‎The judge held that the defendants should remain in custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
‎The matter was thereafter adjourned until Feb. 17 for commencement of trial.
‎Malami, who served as AGF and Minister of Justice from Nov. 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
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‎He was arraigned alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Asabe, who was identified as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd., a firm allegedly used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through property transactions.