Nigeria’s former attorney general Abubakar Malami was granted bail early Wednesday, pending trial over sweeping money laundering allegations, authorities announced. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said the Federal High Court in Abuja approved bail after a heavily guarded hearing.
Malami served as attorney general and justice minister between November 2015 and May 2023 under former president Muhammadu Buhari. Prosecutors accuse Malami, alongside his wife and son, of laundering about 8.7 billion naira, roughly six million dollars.
The court granted each defendant bail set at 1.5 billion naira, under strict conditions, according to the anti-graft agency. An AFP reporter said the courthouse was ringed by security, its corridors tense as Malami arrived before dawn.
Malami pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court on December 30 with his wife and son. They face charges including conspiracy, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds allegedly drawn from unlawful activities.
As part of the bail conditions, the defendants must surrender their passports and complete formalities before leaving custody. The commission said the trio would remain in prison custody until the bail requirements were fully satisfied.
The case was adjourned until February 17, leaving the court to await a fuller reckoning in the coming weeks. Though Buhari cultivated an image of austerity, corruption remained entrenched, and senior officials have increasingly faced courtroom scrutiny.
Malami is the latest figure from the former administration to face fraud charges, following cases involving Godwin Emefiele and Chris Ngige. Nigeria ranked thirty-fifth from the bottom in the World Bank’s 2023 control of corruption index, underscoring the country’s enduring struggle.
