The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the hearing of the alleged N8.7 billion money laundering case against former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, his wife Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami until June 23, 2026. The decision was made on Friday after the defense requested an adjournment, which the prosecution did not oppose, though they noted the prior delays caused by the defense.
The trio face a 16-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including conspiracy, procurement fraud, concealment, and laundering of proceeds from unlawful activities totaling N8,713,923,759.49, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During the session, prosecution counsel J.S. Okutepa (SAN) stated that the case was set for trial, but the defense had filed a letter seeking a postponement. While the prosecution did not object, Okutepa urged the court to consider the number of previous adjournments granted at the defense’s request.
In her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik acknowledged that the lead defense counsel was absent but noted that other lawyers from the firm were present and could have proceeded. However, she granted the adjournment in the interest of fair hearing, emphasizing that the defense still had adjournment allowances remaining. The case is now scheduled to continue on June 23, 2026.