Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his son and one other 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 in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the charges against Malami, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe.
The allegations centre on large-scale money laundering and the unlawful acquisition of properties valued at over N8.7 billion.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, accuses the trio of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds derived from illegal activities.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly relied on multiple bank accounts, corporate vehicles, and high-value real estate transactions over a period of nearly ten years to indirectly acquire the illicit funds.
The charge sheet indicated that the alleged offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, largely within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General of the Federation.
The EFCC further alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal N1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025. They were also accused of depositing an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
Among the properties listed in the charge are a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, acquired for N500 million; a property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, purchased for N700 million; and another in the Jabi District valued at N850 million. Other alleged acquisitions include properties on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million); in Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).
The commission also claimed that Malami used proceeds totaling N952 million to acquire several properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023, allegedly through proxies and corporate entities to conceal ownership.
Hajia Bashir Asabe, identified as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, was said to have played a key role in facilitating the property transactions and masking ownership on Malami’s behalf.
The EFCC stated that the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), as well as the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
To prove its case, the commission has lined up several witnesses, including investigators, bank officials, bureau de change operators, and company representatives.