Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday for his arraignment over alleged money laundering and related financial crimes. Malami arrived at Court 8 at approximately 8:55 a.m., accompanied by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He is set to face charges alongside his son, Abubakar Malami Jr., and Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, a company allegedly linked to the former minister. The trio will be arraigned on a 16-count charge before Justice Emeka Nwite. As of the time of reporting, court proceedings had not yet commenced.
The EFCC accused the defendants of engaging in a series of suspicious financial transactions and attempting to conceal the illicit origin of billions of naira through property acquisitions and bank accounts in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi. The alleged offenses span a decade, from 2015 to 2025, covering Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. The anti-graft agency said the defendants conspired to disguise the origin of funds, acquire properties indirectly, and retain substantial sums that were allegedly proceeds of unlawful activity, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022.
In the first count, the EFCC alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son directed Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1 billion (N1,014,848,500) in a Sterling Bank account, knowing the funds were illicit. Count two detailed that between September 2020 and February 2021, the duo allegedly concealed over N600 million (N600,013,460.40) through the same company. The third count implicated the father and son in retaining N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million Sterling Bank loan to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd in March 2021, despite knowing the funds were unlawful.
Other counts involve the alleged purchase of high-value properties across Abuja and other states. In count four, the EFCC claimed that in November 2022, Malami, his son, and Asabe disguised N500 million used to purchase a luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja. Count five alleged that between November 2022 and September 2024, the trio conspired to conceal N1,049,173,926.13 paid through Meethaq Hotels Ltd’s Union Bank account. Count six accused them of taking control of N1,362,887,872.96 from the same account between November 2022 and October 2025, allegedly knowing it was illicit.
The charges further allege multiple property acquisitions across the Federal Capital Territory. Count seven involved N700 million allegedly used to purchase No. 3 Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja (Hamonia Hotels Ltd), while count eight related to N850 million concealed to buy a property in Jabi District, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Ltd) between September and December 2020. Counts nine through twelve detail purchases of properties at Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million), Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million), and Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million), allegedly from unlawful sources.
Counts thirteen to sixteen further implicate Malami, his son, and Asabe in additional property acquisitions, including a luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, and several other properties across Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano, with sums ranging from hundreds of millions to over a billion naira. The EFCC described these alleged transactions as part of a broader scheme to launder money through property and corporate entities while exploiting Malami’s position as Attorney-General.
The EFCC plans to call numerous witnesses to substantiate the charges, including commission staff, bank officials, Bureau de Change operators, and other financial experts. Key witnesses include Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya, Sani Lukeman, Abdulrahman Musa Basheer, and Jamilu Mohammed, along with representatives from Zenith Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc. Dare, Eneanya, and Lukeman are expected to testify on how the EFCC received intelligence and petitions alleging monumental corruption against Malami, while Basheer will provide evidence concerning Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd’s involvement in purchasing properties on behalf of the former minister.
The arraignment marks a significant development in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to hold high-profile officials accountable for alleged financial misconduct. The scale of the charges, spanning billions of naira and multiple states, highlights the extensive reach of the EFCC’s investigations into Malami’s alleged financial dealings during his tenure as AGF. The case is likely to attract significant public and media attention, given Malami’s prominence in Nigerian politics and law.
Justice Emeka Nwite will preside over the proceedings, which are expected to include detailed testimonies from financial experts and institutional representatives. The court is anticipated to review all evidence presented by the EFCC, including documentation of bank transactions, property acquisitions, and corporate records, to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to proceed with prosecution.
As the case unfolds, it will be closely monitored as a barometer of Nigeria’s commitment to addressing alleged corruption at the highest levels of government. Observers note that the outcome may have implications not only for Malami and his associates but also for public confidence in the country’s anti-corruption framework.
