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Court Grants Interim Bail To Ex-Attorney General Abubakar Malami In EFCC Case, Fixes January 5, 2026 For Hearing
The sureties are the Director-General of the Nigerian Legal Aid Council and a serving member of the House of Representatives representing the Augie/Argungu Federal Constituency.
Abuja, Nigeria– The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted interim bail to a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in an ongoing case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Hon. Justice Bello Kawu, who ordered that Malami be released on the same bail conditions earlier considered by the anti-graft agency, pending the hearing and determination of a substantive motion on notice.
According to the court order, the interim bail conditions include the surrender of Malami’s international passport and the execution of bail bonds by two sureties.
The sureties are the Director-General of the Nigerian Legal Aid Council and a serving member of the House of Representatives representing the Augie/Argungu Federal Constituency.
Justice Kawu also adjourned the matter to January 5, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
The ruling followed an ex-parte application marked Motion No: M/17220/2025, filed by the EFCC as applicant, with Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Temitope Isaac Adebayo listed as respondents.
The motion specifically sought an order admitting the first respondent to bail on the already fulfilled conditions earlier approved by the EFCC on November 28, 2025, including the provision of two sureties—identified as Abubakar Aliyu Bagudu, Director-General of the Legal Aid Council, and Hon. Sani Yakubu Noma, the lawmaker representing Augie/Argungu Federal Constituency—as well as the surrender of Malami’s international passport.
The application also requested the court to review and reactivate those earlier bail conditions pending the determination of a related motion dated December 18, 2025, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Court No. 2, presided over by Hon. Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji, in Motion No: FCT/HC/M/16544/2025.
In his ruling, Justice Kawu held that the application had merit and granted it as prayed.
The document read, “Upon reading through the motion ex-parte, accompanying 22 paragraphs affidavit of MUHSIN MALAMI and a written address filed in compliance with the rules of court and after hearing M. E SHERIFF Esq., praying this honorable court for the following order(s);
“AN ORDER ADMITTING THE 1ST RESPONDENT/APPLICANT to bail in the interim, on the terms of bail initially considered by EFCC which are: surrendering his international passport and the bail bonds filed by his sureties (The director general of Nigerian Legal Aid Counsel and a serving house of Reps member representing Augie/Argungu Constituancy) on grounds of exceptional hardship, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on Notice dated 18th December, 2025 by the high court of the federal capital territory, Court No. 2 presided over by Honorable Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji in Motion No: FCT/HC/M/16544/2025.
“AN ORDER REVIEWING AND REACTIVATING the earlier fulfilled bail conditions of 28th November, 2025 to wit: provision of two sureties (Mr. Abubakar Aliyu Bagudu the Director, Legal Aid counsel and Hon. Sani Yakubu Noma Member representing Augie/Argungu Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives) and the surrender of the 1st Respondent/applicant’s international passport.
“AND for such further order(s) as this honorable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the case.
“APPLICATION IS HEREBY GRANTED; The application for bail on the already granted Conditions by the EFCC IS hereby granted. This matter is hereby adjourned to 5th day of January, 2026 for hearing of the motion on notice.”
