Alleged N8bn Money Laundering: Court Further Remands Malami, Son, Wife in Kuje Prison

Malami

By JUMOKE SANNI

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday, January 2, 2025, further remanded former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, till January 7, 2026, for ruling on their bail applications.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting the defendants over alleged money laundering offences to the tune of N8,713,923,759.49 (Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Naira, Forty-Nine Kobo).

They were docked on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

At the resumed hearing on Friday, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that the matter was slated for the hearing of the bail applications filed by the defendants.

Responding, counsel to the defendants , J.B Daudu SAN, told the court that prosecution just served them with a counter affidavit in the court and therefore needed to go through it and respond accordingly.

After going through it, Daudu filed a counter affidavit of about 28 to 30 paragraphs challenging why the defendants should no longer be in detention.

Meanwhile, Iheanacho told the court that they had just been served with a counter affidavit and sought time to study the processes.