Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and Bashir Asabe at the Kuje Correctional Facility, pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
Ruling on an oral bail application made by the defendants’ counsel, Justice Nwite stated that granting the bail request at this stage would amount to an ambush, as the defence team had already submitted a written bail application.
After the defendants pleaded not guilty to the sixteen-count charges related to alleged corruption, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to January 2, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
The trio were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had brought a 16-count charge against Abubakar Malami, his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and their associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe.
The charges include large-scale money laundering and the illegal acquisition of properties worth over N8.7 billion.