A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.

The court also ordered the remand of Malami’s co-defendants, his son, Mr Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and one of his wives, Hajia Bashir Asabe.

The order was made by the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, after listening to arguments from the defence team led by Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, and the prosecution counsel, Mr Ekele Iheneacho, SAN.

Malami and the other defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had filed a 16-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025 before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing the defendants of money laundering and unlawful acquisition of properties valued at over N8.7 billion.

According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, mostly in Abuja, during Malami’s tenure as the nation’s chief law officer.

In the charge sheet signed by a prosecution team led by Chief J.S. Okutepa, SAN, the EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of N1.014 billion domiciled in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025.

The commission further alleged that another N600.01 million was concealed in the same account between September 2020 and February 2021.

The EFCC also accused the defendants of retaining N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million loan granted by Sterling Bank Plc to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, allegedly knowing that the funds represented proceeds of unlawful activity.

In another count, the commission alleged that between November 2022 and October 2025, the defendants indirectly took control of N1.36 billion paid through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd, which they allegedly knew to be illicit funds.

The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The anti-graft agency listed several witnesses to testify during the trial, including investigators, bank officials, bureau de change operators and representatives of the companies allegedly involved in the transactions.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to a later date for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants remain in custody pending further proceedings.