- Safiu Kehinde
The Abuja Federal High Court judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, has issued stern warning to counsels of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and others involved in his ongoing case to desist from approaching him for any favour.
Nwite, who is presiding over the alleged money laundering suit filed against Malami by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave the warning during the hearing of the ex-AGF’s bail application on Wednesday.
NPO Reported that the judge had granted Malami, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and son, Abdulaziz Malami, bail in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties in like sum, who shall depose to an affidavit of means.
He subsequently fixed 17th of February for the commencement ex-AGF’s trial.
Meanwhile, Nwite warned the defendants counsels against approaching him in the course of the trial, cautioning that his leniency should not be taken for granted.
As quoted in a statement issued by the EFCC, the presiding judge charged them to get best lawyers to defend Malami rather than making unsolicited advances towards him.
“I want to admonish and warn counsels and litigants that they should know the type of court they are appearing before. All judges are not the same.
“Irrespective of my familiarity with you, when I am dealing with any case, do not approach me.
“The best you can do for your clients is to get the best lawyers in this country. The law cannot be bent as far as this court is concerned.
“So, I want to warn each and every litigant and lawyer appearing before this court that they should understand the way this court works. Please, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
“Any attempt to tarnish my name will be resisted and dealt with. I warned, I warned, and I warned!”, he said.
Recall that EFCC is prosecuting Malami alongside his wife and son over alleged money laundering offences to the tune of ₦8.7 billion.
The defendants were docked on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of ₦1,014,848,500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when you reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
Count five reads: “That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of ₦1,049,173,926.13 (One Billion, Forty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Six Naira, Thirteen Kobo) paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act.”
Count six reads: “That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of ₦1,362,887,872.96 (One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Two Naira, Ninety-Six Kobo) paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”