Malami Heads Back To Court Over ₦8.7bn Trial

Malami is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside members of his family, including his son. The anti-graft agency has filed a 16-count charge against the defendants, alleging conspiracy, procurement, concealment, disguise, and laundering of proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The case, which also involves Malami’s wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, was previously adjourned by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, to June 23, 2026, following an earlier sitting held on May 22.

During the previous hearing, lead prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa (SAN), informed the court that although the matter had been scheduled for continuation of hearing, the prosecution received a letter from the defence seeking an adjournment. He explained that while the prosecution had grounds to challenge the request, it chose not to oppose it in order to avoid delaying proceedings.

Okutepa also urged the court to take note of the number of adjournments previously sought by the defence, stressing the need for the matter to progress without unnecessary delays.

The EFCC maintains that the defendants have questions to answer regarding the alleged movement and concealment of funds linked to unlawful activities, while the accused persons are expected to continue defending themselves against the charges before the court.