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Federal Government files 16-count money laundering charges against Abubakar Malami and his son
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Over ₦1bn allegedly laundered through bank accounts, companies and property acquisitions
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Case adjourned to January 5, 2026, as court grants interim bail in related matter
The Federal Government has filed fresh money laundering charges against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged financial transactions exceeding ₦1 billion.
The 16-count charge was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant. A third defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe, was also named in the suit.
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According to court documents, the defendants are accused of handling, transferring, and concealing funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Investigators allegedly traced a total sum of ₦1,014,848,500 to a Sterling Bank account linked to the transactions. The prosecution claims the funds were laundered through corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, which was allegedly used as a front to conceal the source and movement of the money.
The charge sheet further alleges that between 2015 and 2025, several properties were acquired in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states using illicit funds. Some of the properties are said to be located in high-end areas such as Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Jabi, with certain transactions reportedly carried out while Malami was still in office.
READ ALSO: EFCC Traces N212bn Properties to Ex-AGF Malami Across Three States
One of the counts alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to disguise the unlawful origin of over ₦1.014 billion. Prosecutors also accused them of using bank accounts, hotel businesses, and real estate firms to retain, move, and disguise large sums of money, including payments for hotels, plazas, duplexes, and landed properties.
The prosecution maintained that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the funds were proceeds of illegal activities.
Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and had faced several corruption allegations during his tenure, all of which he previously denied.
Meanwhile, in a related case, the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted Malami interim bail, ordering him to surrender his passport and meet existing bail conditions, including providing two sureties.
The matter has been adjourned to January 5, 2026, for further proceedings.
