In relation to the criminal charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malamami (SAN), and two others, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, stated on Wednesday that some unidentified individuals have quietly attempted to convince him to compromise his adjudicatory duties.
On December 30, 2025, the EFCC charged Malami (SAN), his son Abdulaziz, and his wife Asabe Bashir, who works for Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd., a business connected to the former AGF, with N9 billion fraud.
Under previous President Muhammadu Buhari, Malami held the position of AGF for eight years.
Malami and his co-defendants were specifically charged with attempting to hide the illegal source of assets valued at several billions of naira in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi.
The EFCC further claimed that Malami and the other defendants had collaborated at different points in time to conceal, hold, and disguise N9 billion in proceeds from illegal activities.
According to the commission, some of the alleged offenses were committed in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, while Malami was the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Before the court granted them bail on Wednesday, Malami, his son, and Asabe had been detained in Kuje jail since December 30.
Furthermore, according to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, Malami and his son allegedly “procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1.14 billion, in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities” between July 2022 and June 2025.
But soon after the former Minister of Justice was granted bail, Justice Nwite shocked the court by claiming that some people he didn’t know were trying to entice him into accepting bribes in exchange for a favorable ruling.
Justice Nwite, who appeared appalled, cautioned that no one should approach him in the future in an attempt to persuade him to lower the bar.
“I want to remind both parties and litigants to be aware of the kind of court they are coming before before I wrap up this proceeding.
“Judges differ from one another. Please do not approach me while I am working on any case, even if I am getting to know you.
“Hiring the best attorney is the best thing you can do for your client. From this court’s perspective, the law cannot be twisted.
Therefore, I would want to caution all of you litigants and attorneys who appear before this court to be aware of how this court operates.
“Please remember that being prepared means being forewarned. Any attempt to be lenient will be met with resistance. Justice Nwite said, “I warn, I warn, and I warn.”
In the meantime, Malami, his wife, and son were all granted N500 million in bail by Justice Nwite.
The Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for allegedly embezzling more than N9 billion while they were in office.
Malami is required under the bail condition to present two sureties who will stand in his place for the same amount.
In his decision regarding the bail request, Justice Nwite mandated that the two sureties had properties in Maitama, Asokoro, or Gwarimpa.
The deputy chief registrar of the court was instructed by the court to verify the property documents, and the sureties were also required to provide an affidavit of means.
Malami must also give the court his travel documentation and refrain from leaving the nation without the court’s express consent.
The former AGF and his sureties were also had to give the court their two most current passport photos.
Malami has been placed on detention at Kuje jail until he satisfies the requirements of his bail.
The trial is scheduled to begin on February 17th, according to Justice Nwite.
A court has ordered the temporary forfeiture of 57 properties connected to Malami, valued at N213 billion.
In the meantime, 57 properties connected to former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami and two of his sons, Abdulaziz and Abiru-Rahman Malami, have been temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, Justice Emeka Nwite issued the decision on Tuesday after Ekele Iheanacho, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s attorney, submitted an ex-parte motion.
The properties, which are located in Abuja as well as the states of Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna and are estimated to be worth N213.2 billion, are allegedly the results of illegal activity, according to Oyewale.
In his decision, Justice Nwite ordered the Federal Government to temporarily surrender the properties listed in the motion’s schedule.
The judge was cited as saying, “It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in Schedule 1 below which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
According to Oyewale, the judge also mandated that the EFCC publish the interim forfeiture judgment in a national newspaper, giving interested parties 14 days to demonstrate why the properties shouldn’t be permanently lost.
For a compliance report, the case was postponed until January 27, 2026.
University buildings, hotels, schools, gas stations, warehouses, residential buildings, plazas, stores, factories, and vast tracts of land spread throughout the four states and the Federal Capital Territory are among the assets listed.
“Luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone, A06 Maitama; File No: An enhancement 11352, which was purchased in December 2022 at N500,000,000.00 (value after enhancement at N5,950,000,000),” he stated. Located at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (previously Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT, this two-winged, large-story skyscraper was acquired in December 2018 for N7,000,000,000.
Plot 683, Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, consists of a five-story building (now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd., Jabi with 53 rooms/suites) that was acquired in September 2020 at carcass level for N850,000,000, plus an additional N300,000,000 to take possession (value after completion N8,400,000,000). Property No. 3130, which includes terraces, was bought in January 2021 for N360,000,000 in Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Limited, Maitama with 15 rooms), which was acquired in February 2018 for N430,000,000 (current value after rehabilitation is N12,950,000,000).”
In July 2021, Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (No. 11A Yakubu Gowon Crescent) Asokoro District was acquired for N325,000,000. Shop No. C82 Citiescape — Shariff Plaza, Plot 739 Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse Il, FCT, Abuja was bought for N120,000,000 in March 2024.
“No. 4 Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano was acquired for N300,000,000 in December 2022.” Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa, GRA, Kano, was acquired in July 2019; the purchase price was not specified. Warehouse tanks, commercial restrooms, laundry facilities, and a plaza are all nearby. 100 hectares of land along Birnin Kebbi, Jega Road, were paid N100,000,000 for in 2020.
Birnin Kebbi on Jega Road was bought for N100,000,000 in 2020.
The four-bedroom bungalow in Birnin Kebbi’s Gesse Phase was bought in 2023 for N101,000,000. Shops Nos. A36, B3 Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja were bought for N158,000,000 in July 2023. No. 26, Babbi Drive, Bua Estate, Abuja, acquired for N136,000,000 in 2022. No. 27, Efab Estates Avenue, 59 Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja; paid N120,000,000 for it in January 2016. Boys’ quarters with four bedrooms and two rooms at No. 10B, Doka Crescent Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, were bought for N40,000,000.00 in January 2018. In June 2018, N85,000,000 was paid for Plot No. 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja.
“In October 2018, I paid N150,000,000 for a bedroom duplex and boys’ quarters at No. 12 Yalinga Street, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja. In July 2020, two warehouse stores, B40 and B46, in Wuse Market, Abuja, were acquired for N50,000,000. Between February and May of 2017, twin homes at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, were acquired for N250,000,000. The Federal Housing Authority Mortgage sold the properties that Khadimiyya purchased for the Justice & Development Initiative at Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi.
Among the other assets included in the schedule are nine three-bedroom bungalow flats, three two-bedroom bungalow units, and 5.4 hectares of land that were bought for N187,000,000 between February and September of 2023.
Due to allegations of N8.7 billion money laundering, Malami, his wife, Bashir Abe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, are already on trial before Justice Nwite.
