Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on Saturday visited former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.
A source familiar with the visit told Sahara Reporters that the meeting centred on consultations over the way forward.
“Tambuwal was with Malami yesterday to discuss the way forward,” the source said.
Malami is currently being remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, over a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The defendants are accused of laundering a total sum of ₦8.7bn.
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the three defendants bail in the sum of ₦500m each, with two sureties.
The court ordered that the sureties must own landed property in high-end Abuja districts, Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarinpa, and submit their travel documents to the court. Justice Nwite also directed that the property documents be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar and that the sureties swear to affidavits of means.
Malami was further ordered to submit his own travel documents and barred from travelling out of the country without the court’s permission.
Earlier, the Federal High Court ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties linked to Malami.
Justice Nwite granted the order following an ex parte motion filed by EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), on the grounds that the assets were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
The properties, said to be worth billions of naira, are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states.
Sources said Malami delayed processing his bail after a heavy deployment of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives to the Kuje facility.
It was gathered that more than 50 DSS operatives, in a convoy of about six Toyota Hilux vans, took up strategic positions around the prison from Wednesday, tightening surveillance at entry and exit points.
According to sources, the deployment was a precautionary move amid concerns that Malami could be re-arrested over an alleged separate investigation bordering on terrorism financing, despite being granted bail in the money laundering case.
A source said the former AGF consequently instructed his legal team to slow down the bail process.
Malami is said to be held in the facility’s VIP segregation cell, reportedly refurbished by a former police intelligence chief.
“Malami has remained holed up in the VIP segregation cell that was refurbished by the disgraced super cop Abba Kyari and recently hosted Prince Emmanuel Kanu, younger brother of the imprisoned IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu,” a source disclosed.
He is expected to remain in custody until the security concerns surrounding his release are resolved.