Judge Speaks Out on Alleged Bribery Attempts – Malami Comments

In relation to the criminal charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and two others, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, asserted on Wednesday that some individuals who are unknown to him have quietly attempted to convince him to compromise his adjudicatory duties.

On December 30, 2025, Malami (SAN), his son Abdulaziz, and his wife Asabe Bashir—who works for Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd., a business connected to the former AGF—were all charged by the EFCC with N9 billion fraud.

Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, Malami was AGF for eight years.

Malami and his co-defendants were specifically charged with trying to hide the illegal source of assets valued at several billions of naira in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi.

The EFCC further claimed that Malami and the other defendants collaborated at different points in time to conceal, hold onto, and disguise N9 billion in proceeds from illegal activities.

According to the commission, some of the alleged offenses were committed when Malami was the Federation’s Attorney General, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Before the court granted them bail on Wednesday, Malami, his son, and Asabe had been cooling off in Kuje jail since December 30.

Furthermore, between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son were accused of violating Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 by “procuring Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1.14 billion, in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities.”

But soon after the former Minister of Justice was granted bail, Justice Nwite shocked the court by claiming that some people he didn’t know had been trying to entice him to bribe him for a favorable ruling.

Justice Nwite, who appeared appalled, issued a warning that no one should approach him in the future in an attempt to persuade him to lower the bar.

“I want to remind both parties and litigants to be aware of the kind of court they are coming before before I end this proceeding.

Judges differ from one another. Please do not approach me while I am working on any case, even while I am getting to know you.

“Hiring the best attorney is the best you can do for your client. As far as this court is concerned, the law cannot be bent.

Therefore, I would want to caution all of you litigants and attorneys who are appearing before this court to be aware of how this court operates.

Please remember that being alert means being prepared. Any attempt to be lenient will be met with resistance and consequences. Justice Nwite declared, “I warn, I warn, and I warn.”

In the meantime, Malami, his wife, and son were each given N500 million in bail by Justice Nwite.

The Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for allegedly embezzling more than N9 billion while in office.

Malami must provide two sureties who will stand up for him in the same amount as required by the bail condition.

Judge Nwite ruled on the bail application and mandated that the two sureties have landed properties in Gwarimpa, Asokoro, or Maitama.

The deputy chief registrar of the court was instructed by the court to verify the property records, and the sureties were required to provide an affidavit of means.

Additionally, Malami must deposit his travel documents with the court and cannot leave the country without the court’s express consent.

The former AGF and his sureties were also mandated to give the court their two most current passport photos.

Malami has been placed on detention at Kuje jail until he satisfies the requirements of his bail.

The trial will begin on February 17th, according to Justice Nwite.

57 properties worth N213 billion connected to Malami are temporarily forfeited by the court.

In the meantime, 57 properties associated with former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami and two of his sons, Abdulaziz and Abiru-Rahman Malami, have been temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, Justice Emeka Nwite issued the decision on Tuesday after Ekele Iheanacho, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s counsel, submitted an ex-parte motion.

The properties, which are located in Abuja as well as the states of Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna and are estimated to be worth N213.2 billion, are suspected of being the profits of illegal activity, according to Oyewale.

The properties listed in the motion’s schedule will be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government, according to Justice Nwite’s order.

The judge was cited as saying, “It is hereby ordered that an interim order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities the properties described in Schedule 1 below.”

According to Oyewale, the judge also mandated that the EFCC publish the interim forfeiture judgment in a national newspaper, giving interested parties 14 days to provide justification for why the properties shouldn’t be permanently forfeited.

For a report on compliance, the case was postponed until January 27, 2026.

University buildings, hotels, schools, gas stations, warehouses, residential buildings, plazas, stores, factories, and vast tracts of land spread throughout the four states and the Federal Capital Territory are among the assets on the list.

“Luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone, A06 Maitama; File No: An enhancement 11352, which was purchased in December 2022 at N500, 000, 000.00 (value after enhancement at N5,950,000,000),” he stated. Purchased in December 2018 for N7,000,000,000, this two-winged, large-story structure is located at No. 3, Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Cadastral Zone, A03, Abuja (previously Harmonia Hotels Limited), FCT.

Plot 683, Jabi District, Caldastral Zone B04, consists of a five-story building (now Luxurious Meethaq Hotels Ltd., Jabi with 53 rooms/suites) that was acquired in September 2020 at carcass level for N850,000,000, plus an additional N300,000,000 for possession (value after completion N8,400,000,000). Property No. 3130, which includes terraces, was bought in January 2021 for N360,000,000 in Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, FCT, Abuja.

“Property No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Limited, Maitama with 15 rooms), which was acquired in February 2018 at N430,000,000 (current value after rehabilitation is N12,950,000,000).”

Plot No. 1241B, Asokoro District Zone (No. 11A Yakubu Gowon Crescent), Asokoro District, which was acquired in July 2021 for N325,000,000, is another. Purchased in March 2024 for N120,000,000, Shop No. C82 Cityscape — Shariff Plaza, Plot 739 Cadastral Zone A07, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse Il, FCT, Abuja.

“No. 4 Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano was acquired for N300,000,000 in December 2022. Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nasarawa, GRA, Kano, was bought in July 2019; the purchase price was not specified. Commercial restrooms, laundry facilities, and warehouse tanks are all close by. In 2020, 100 hectares of land along Birnin Kebbi, Jega Road, were bought for N100,000,000.

Birnin Kebbi, Jega Road, was bought for N100,000,000 in 2020.

The four-bedroom bungalow in Birnin Kebbi’s Gesse Phase was acquired in 2023 for N101,000,000. Shops Nos. A36, B3 Vegas Mall, Wuse 2, Abuja were acquired for N158,000,000 in July 2023. No. 26, Babbi Drive, Bua Estate, Abuja; bought for N136,000,000 in 2022. No. 27, Efab Estates Avenue, 59 Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja, was acquired for N120,000,000 in January 2016. Boys’ quarters with two rooms and four bedrooms at No. 10B, Doka Crescent Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, were bought for N40,000,000.00 in January 2018. In June 2018, Plot No. 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Karsana District, Abuja, was acquired for N85,000,000.

“In October 2018, I paid N150,000,000 for a bedroom duplex and boys’ quarters at No. 12 Yalinga Street, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.” In July 2020, two warehouse stores in Wuse Market, Abuja, B40 and B46, were acquired for N50,000,000. Between February and May 2017, twin homes at Zone E, Apo Legislative Quarters, Cadastral Zone B01, Plot 14014, Gudu District, Abuja, were bought for N250,000,000. The Federal Housing Authority Mortgage sold properties that Khadimiyya purchased for the Justice & Development Initiative at Academic Garden City, Birnin Kebbi.

Among the other assets included in the schedule are nine three-bedroom bungalow units, three two-bedroom bungalow units, and 5.4 hectares of land that were bought for N187,000,000 between February and September of 2023.

In connection with suspected N8.7 billion money laundering, Malami, his wife, Bashir Abe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz, are already on trial before Justice Nwite.