Court Grants Malami N500m Bail, Orders Remand in Kuje Pending Fulfilment

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, bail in the sum of N500 million over alleged money laundering offences filed by the Federal Government.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered on Wednesday, ordered Malami to produce two sureties in like sum. The court directed that the sureties must own landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa, with all title documents to be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. The sureties are also required to depose to affidavits of means.

As part of the bail conditions, Malami is to deposit his international passport and other travelling documents with the court and must not leave the country without express permission. The court further ordered Malami and his sureties to submit two recent passport photographs each.

Pending the perfection of these conditions, Justice Nwite ordered that the former minister be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

At the court premises, business associates, friends and sympathisers of Malami were seen making moves to secure his bail.

The judge fixed February 17 for the commencement of trial in the matter.

The court extended the same bail conditions to Malami’s son, Abdulaziz Malami, and an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, Hajia Asabe Bashir.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Malami, his son and his wife on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.