A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday adjourned the trial of former Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, to 4 May. Both were granted bail of approximately $147,000 each.
The pair face terrorism and illegal firearms charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), following earlier money laundering charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Malami, his son, and his wife are jointly facing a 16-count charge involving alleged unlawful acquisition of assets exceeding $6 million.
Malami’s lawyer, Adedayo Adedeji, noted that the defendants had pleaded not guilty to all counts during arraignment. “In respect of the second charge, the one filed by the DSS, that came up for our application for bail. The defendants had earlier been arraigned and they pleaded not guilty to all the counts,” he said.
Abubakar Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister from November 2015 to May 2023 and is the latest senior official from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to face trial over corruption and financial crimes.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing insurgency, which has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced nearly two million people over the past decade and a half, highlighting the country’s broader challenges in governance, security, and accountability.
