Human Rights Tension Escalates After Court Sends Former AGF, Family to Prison
by Paul Ebi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged money laundering charges.
The defendants were re-arraigned before the Federal High Court Abuja following the reassignment of the case to Joyce Abdulmalik after two judicial officers recused themselves from the matter.
At the resumed sitting, prosecution counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), informed the court that the case was appearing for the first time before the new trial judge and applied for the defendants’ pleas to be taken. Malami and the two other defendants subsequently pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge.
Counsel to the first defendant, Joseph Daudu (SAN), drew the court’s attention to the bail earlier granted on January 7 by Emeka Nwite and already perfected by his clients. He urged the court to adopt the same bail conditions, arguing that the Federal High Court operates as one unified court across Nigeria and that such adoption would serve the interest of justice.
However, while the EFCC prosecution confirmed the earlier bail grant, Justice Abdulmalik ruled that proceedings conducted before Justice Nwite had been legally terminated following the reassignment of the case, stressing that fresh bail applications must be filed.
Consequently, the court ordered that Malami and his son be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while his wife was remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their new bail applications.
The matter was adjourned to March 6, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications in Abuja.
