Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami arrainged in court by EFCC
Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged money laundering offences.
The defendants were arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Emeka Nwite on a fresh 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Both Malami and his son pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
After taking their pleas, the court heard submissions from counsel to the defendants, led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, and the prosecution team, led by Ekele Iheneacho, SAN.
Justice Nwite subsequently ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kuje Prison pending the hearing and determination of their respective bail applications.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed between 2015 and 2023, a period that spans Malami’s entire tenure as Nigeria’s chief law officer.
The anti-graft agency contends that the alleged acts contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), as well as the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Some of the alleged transactions were said to have occurred while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation.
The remand order follows Malami’s earlier arraignment on December 30, after weeks of detention and legal tussles with the EFCC over bail conditions. The former AGF and his co-defendants have consistently denied the allegations, with Malami previously insisting that elements of the investigation are politically motivated.
