EFCC Re-Arraigns Ex-AGF Malami, Family Members Over Alleged Money Laundering

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, re-arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz, over alleged money laundering offences.

The trio were re-arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following the reassignment of the case to the new trial judge.

At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was coming up for the first time before Justice Abdulmalik and applied for the defendants’ pleas to be taken.

“The matter is coming before your lordship this morning for the very first time. I will be applying for the plea of the defendants to be taken,” he said.

Okutepa also sought the court’s leave to correct the sums listed in Counts 11 and 12 of the charge, praying that the amount in Count 11 be amended from N325 billion to N325 million, and Count 12 from N120 billion to N120 million.

The defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not oppose the application, following which Justice Abdulmalik granted the request.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initial trial judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, had withdrawn from the matter shortly after it was reassigned to him on February 12.

The case was first handled by Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as a vacation judge during the Christmas and New Year break. After the vacation, the Chief Judge reassigned the case to Justice Egwuatu, who subsequently recused himself before it was eventually reassigned to Justice Abdulmalik.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Malami, his wife and son, were first arraigned before Justice Nwite on December 30, 2025, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025.

While Malami and his son were remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Asabe was remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre. They were later granted bail on January 7 in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.