Court remands Malami, family over ₦9bn fraud, grants ₦200m bail in terrorism case

Court remands Malami, family over ₦9bn fraud, grants ₦200m bail in terrorism case

A Federal High Court remanded former AGF Abubakar Malami and his family over an alleged ₦9bn fraud while granting him and his son N200m bail in a separate terrorism case.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, his son, Abdulaziz, and wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in prison custody over an alleged ₦9bn money laundering case. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered their remand following their re-arraignment on a 16-count charge filed by the EFCC.

The court directed that Malami and his son be held at Kuje Correctional Centre, while Asabe was remanded at Suleja prison in Niger State, pending the hearing of fresh bail applications on March 6. Defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, urged the court to allow the defendants to continue on the bail earlier granted by Justice Emeka Nwite, but EFCC counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, argued that proceedings had commenced afresh. Justice Abdulmalik ruled that earlier proceedings had terminated and insisted on fresh bail applications.

The EFCC alleged that Malami, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, used companies, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited and Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, to conceal funds suspected to be proceeds of crime through Sterling Bank accounts, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

In a related matter, the court admitted Malami and his son to N200 million bail each over separate charges of alleged terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms filed by the DSS. The judge ordered two sureties in like sum, including a property owner in Maitama or Asokoro, and fixed March 4 for trial.

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