The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of Abubakar Malami, SAN, a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), his son and a co-defendant at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their bail application in an alleged money laundering case.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order while ruling on an oral bail application moved byJoseph Daudu, SAN their counsel.
The judge held that the interest of justice and the right to fair hearing required that the prosecution be given the opportunity to respond to the bail application earlier filed by the defence.
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Justice Nwite said it was not in dispute that the defendants had filed a bail application and that the application had been duly served on the prosecution. He also noted that the application could not be withdrawn by the defendants.
While acknowledging that the court had the power to grant bail, the judge said such discretion should only be exercised after the prosecution had responded to the pending bail application.
According to him, granting bail without hearing from the prosecution would amount to an ambush and a breach of the prosecution’s right to fair hearing.
“I am of the view that the interest of justice will be met by allowing the prosecution to respond to the bail application filed by the defendants,” the judge ruled.
He consequently ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until Jan. 2 for hearing of the bail application.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, listed Malami, Hajia Bashir Asabe and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami as the first, second and third defendants respectively in the money laundering suit.
