ABUJA— The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over an alleged N8.7 billion money laundering charge was stalled on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to the absence of his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN.
Malami is facing a 16-count charge alongside his wife, Hajiya Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz. The prosecution is being led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Adjournment and Court Proceedings
The case, which was scheduled for continuation before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Division, could not proceed as scheduled. Although the EFCC prosecution counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, was present in court alongside the defendants, the defense team lacked its lead representation.
It was gathered that Mr. Daudu had previously written to the court to formally request an adjournment. Consequently, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until June 23, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
Case Background and Previous Testimony
The anti-graft agency opened its case against the trio on March 6 by presenting its first prosecution witness, David Ajoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank.
On March 16, the court heard testimonies from two additional prosecution witnesses. The witnesses detailed how millions of naira were allegedly funneled into corporate bank accounts linked to Malami, his wife, and his son.
Arraignment and Bail Conditions
The defendants were re-arraigned on February 27, where they pleaded “not guilty” to all 16 counts. Following their initial arraignment, they were remanded at the Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres pending the determination of their bail applications.
Bail Terms: Justice Abdulmalik subsequently granted each defendant bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum.
As part of the bail conditions, the court mandated that:
- At least one surety must deposit the title deeds of a landed property located within the Maitama or Asokoro districts of Abuja.
- The defendants must surrender their international passports to the court registrar.
The defendants have since perfected their bail conditions.
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