Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his son and another individual, has pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.
The defendants were arraigned on Tuesday before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted the charges against Malami, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe. The commission accused them of involvement in extensive money laundering activities and the unlawful acquisition of properties valued at more than N8.7 billion.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, alleged that the trio conspired to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds believed to have been derived from illegal activities. According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly relied on several bank accounts, corporate structures, and high-value property transactions spanning close to a decade to indirectly control the funds.
Court documents indicated that the alleged offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, largely within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, at a period when Malami served as the nation’s Attorney-General.
The EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal N1.014 billion kept in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025. They were also accused of lodging an additional N600.01 million into the same account between September 2020 and February 2021.
The prosecution further alleged that several high-end properties were acquired with the suspected illicit funds. These include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street in Maitama reportedly purchased for N500 million, a property on Onitsha Crescent in Garki said to have cost N700 million, and another in the Jabi District valued at N850 million. Other alleged acquisitions include properties on Rhine Street, Maitama, Asokoro District, and Efab Estate in Gwarimpa, all bought at various prices running into hundreds of millions of naira.
The commission also claimed that Malami allegedly deployed unlawful proceeds totaling N952 million to purchase multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023. These transactions were said to have been carried out through proxies and corporate entities to mask the true ownership.
Hajia Bashir Asabe, identified as a staff member of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, was alleged to have played a key role in coordinating the property purchases and concealing ownership on behalf of Malami.
According to the EFCC, the alleged conduct contravenes provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The commission disclosed that it intends to call several witnesses, including investigators, bank officials, bureau de change operators, and representatives of relevant companies, to substantiate its case.
What you should know
Abubakar Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023, a role that placed him at the center of the country’s legal and anti-corruption framework.
The charges brought against him by the EFCC mark one of the most high-profile post-tenure prosecutions involving a former justice minister. The case revolves around allegations of money laundering, asset concealment, and the use of corporate entities and proxies to acquire high-value properties.
The outcome could have far-reaching implications for accountability and public trust in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
