A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and his wife Asabe Bashir in the sum of N200 million each over allegations bordering on terrorism financing, unlawful possession of firearms, and money laundering.
The presiding judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, ruled that the defendants must provide two sureties each in the same amount as part of the bail conditions. One of the sureties, the court said, must own landed property located in either Maitama or Asokoro, both high-profile districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court further directed the defendants to surrender their international passports to the court registry and ordered that they remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until they meet all the bail requirements.
The matter was subsequently adjourned until March 16 for the commencement of trial.
Malami and his son were earlier arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on charges relating to terrorism financing and unlawful possession of firearms. They were also separately charged alongside Asabe Bashir by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering involving billions of naira.
During the proceedings, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges filed against them. Their counsel had earlier urged the court to grant them bail, arguing that the defendants were entitled to the presumption of innocence under the law until proven guilty.
According to court documents, the anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through several financial transactions carried out between November 2015 and June 2025. The funds were allegedly used to acquire luxury properties in different locations, including Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano.
In one of the counts, Malami and his son were accused of using a company identified as Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of more than N1 billion lodged in a Sterling Bank account. Prosecutors claimed the defendants ought reasonably to have known that the funds were proceeds of illegal activities.
The charge further alleged that the same company was used to conceal another sum exceeding N600 million, while a separate count accused the defendants of using Rahamaniyya Properties Limited to hide N500 million allegedly used to purchase a luxury duplex on Amazon Street in Maitama, Abuja.
Prosecutors also alleged that the defendants disguised the origin of more than N1.04 billion transferred through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and September 2024.
Another count accused them of indirectly taking control of more than N1.36 billion through the same account despite allegedly knowing that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.
Additional charges claimed that the trio concealed hundreds of millions of naira used to acquire properties in several parts of Abuja, including Garki, Jabi, Maitama, Asokoro and Gwarimpa districts.
In the terrorism-related charge, the Department of State Services accused Malami of knowingly abetting terrorism financing by allegedly refusing to prosecute certain suspected terrorism financiers whose case files had been forwarded to his office during his tenure as Attorney General.
The security agency also accused Malami and his son of unlawfully possessing a Sturm Magnum firearm as well as several live and expended cartridges at their residence in Gesse Phase II area of Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State without lawful authority.
The offences, according to the prosecution, contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Firearms Act, 2004.
Justice Abdulmalik stated that the defendants must strictly comply with the bail conditions before they could regain their freedom, noting that failure to meet the requirements would result in their continued detention.
