Malami, Son arraigned in Abuja over N8.7bn money laundering allegations; plead not guilty 

Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe, were on Monday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja over a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering.

The defendants pleaded not guilty as the charges were formally read to them.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the charges, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, alleging large-scale money laundering and the illegal acquisition of properties valued at over N8.7 billion.

According to the EFCC, the defendants conspired to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds from illegal activities, using multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and high-value real estate transactions over nearly a decade. The alleged offences are said to have occurred between 2015 and 2025, primarily within the Federal Capital Territory, during Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General.

Specifically, the EFCC claims that Malami and his son channelled N1.014 billion through Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited into a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025, with an additional N600.01 million deposited between September 2020 and February 2021.

The properties under investigation include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama (N500 million); a residence on Onitsha Crescent, Garki (N700 million); a property in Jabi District (N850 million); as well as multiple acquisitions on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million), Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million), and Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).

The EFCC further alleged that Malami used unlawful funds amounting to N952 million to acquire additional properties across Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023, often through proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.

The court has adjourned the case for further proceedings.