By Peter Omopo
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his wife, Asabe Bashir, and their son, Abdulaziz Malami, in the ongoing fraud trial instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the ruling, admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of ₦500 million with two sureties each.
As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered that the sureties must be property owners in high-value areas of Abuja, including Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa. The defendants were also directed to deposit their international passports with the court registrar and were barred from travelling outside the country without prior permission of the court.
In addition, both the defendants and their sureties are to submit two recent passport photographs to the court.
Justice Nwite issued a stern warning to lawyers and litigants, cautioning them against attempting to improperly influence the court in the matter. He stressed that any such attempt would attract severe consequences, advising parties to rely solely on diligent legal representation to present and defend their cases.
The bail ruling followed the arraignment of Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and Asabe Bashir, who had earlier pleaded not guilty to all 16 counts of alleged financial crimes preferred against them by the EFCC.
TVC News had earlier reported that the plea was taken at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where arguments were also heard on the defendants’ application for bail. The case has been adjourned for further proceedings.
