- The Federal High Court in Abuja has continued the detention of the former AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his son and one of his wives
- Malami was an influential minister under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, between 2016 and 2023
- The former minister had earlier filed for a bail application, but the court rescheduled the hearing of his application to Wednesday, January 7
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has postponed the hearing of the bail application of Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, till Wednesday, January 7. Malami served under the late Muhammadu Buhari.
The former minister is facing alleged money laundering charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Malami had earlier been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Photo Credit: @officialEFCC
Source: Twitter
Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is facing the trial along with his son, Abdulaziz and one of his wives, Bashir Asaba, on a 16-count charge levelled against them by the EFCC.
According to Channels TV, the EFCC accused the Malamis of laundering ₦8.7 billion, but they have pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignment on Monday, December 29, 2025.
After their plea, Justice Emeka Nwita of the trial court ordered that they should be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre till January 2, 2026, when the court will hear their bail application.
Nigerians react as court adjourns Malami’s application
Some Nigerians have started reacting to the ruling of the court. Below are some of their reactions:
Hon Nuhu Sada called for a fair hearing:
“We note the Federal High Court’s adjournment of the bail hearing for former AGF Abubakar Malami and others. We trust the judicial process to run fairly and transparently. Every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, deserves due process and respect for the rule of law.”
Photo Credit: @Imranmuhdz
Source: Twitter
Adebanji called for a deeper probe of Buhari’s administration:
“The damage done under the Buhari administration, including the actions of those involved, is deeply alarming. All those responsible should be thoroughly investigated and if found guilty, held accountable under the law. No one should be above justice.”
Rapuruchi accused the former minister of abuse of power:
“Malami never saw this coming. He used government institutions to dehumanize people when he was the Attorney General of the Federation. This should serve as a lesson to others. However, no one should complain; let us allow the EFCC to do its work.”
PragmaticDB said:
“Oh, ok. The good thing is that Malami will not be lonely in detention. He has family members around him. It should be a time of reflection for the whole family.”
Kei wrote:
“Malami and co. dodged the courtroom bullet, for now. January 7 is coming, and the tea will spill.”
See the video of the court from X here:
Malami asks EFCC chairman to recuse himself
Legit.ng earlier reported that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s minister of justice and AGF, Abubakar Malami, has called on the current chairman of the EFCC to recuse himself from his investigation.
Malami gave the reason for demanding that the EFCC chairman step aside in his matter and called on the AGF and Minister of Justice to take action.
The former minister also claimed that he was being witch-hunted by the EFCC over his defection from the ruling APC to the ADC.
Source: Legit.ng