By Taiye Agbaje
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, re-arraigned Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), his wife, Asabe Bashir and son, Abdulaziz, on money laundering offences.
They were re-arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, following the re-assignment of the case to the new trial judge.
Upon resumed hearing, EFCC’s lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for defendants’ re-arraignment.
“The matter is coming before your lordship this morning for the very first time. I will be applying for the plea of the defendants to be taken,” he said.
Okutepa equally applied that the sums listed in Counts 11 and 12 be corrected to read N325 million instead of N325 billion for Count 11, and N120 million instead of N120 billion for Count 12.
And after it was not opposed by the defence lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, Justice Abdulmalik granted the oral application by Okutepa.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts preferred against them by the anti-graft agency bordering on money laundering.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a sister judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu had, on Feb. 12, withdrew from the case shortly after the civil case filed by the EFCC was brought to him.
NAN reports that the case was formerly before Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as vacation judge during the Christmas/New Year break.
After the vacation period, the CJ reassigned the cases to Justice Egwuatu who had now recused himself, before it was re-assigned to Justice Abdulmalik.
The ex-AGF, his wife and son were earlier arraigned before Justice Nwite in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, on Dec. 30, 2025.
While Malami and son were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, Asabe was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre before they were admitted to N500 million bail each, on Jan. 7, with two sureties each in the like sum. (NAN)
