The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday over allegations of large-scale money laundering and illicit property acquisitions.
Malami is expected to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite, alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe, to take their pleas on a 16-count charge filed by the anti-graft agency.
According to the charge sheet obtained by newsmen, the prosecution team will be led by Chief J. S. Okutepa, SAN. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, accuses the defendants of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to over ₦8.7 billion.
The EFCC alleges that the offences were committed between 2015 and 2025, largely within the Federal Capital Territory, during Malami’s tenure as Nigeria’s chief law officer. The commission claims the defendants used a complex network of multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, proxies, and high-value real estate transactions to launder illicit funds over nearly a decade.
Among the allegations is that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal ₦1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025, as well as an additional ₦600.01 million allegedly deposited between September 2020 and February 2021.
The defendants are also accused of retaining ₦600 million in cash as collateral for a ₦500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Ltd from Sterling Bank Plc, with the EFCC asserting that they knowingly dealt with proceeds of illegal activities.
In another count, the commission alleges that between November 2022 and October 2025, the defendants indirectly controlled ₦1.36 billion through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd, funds which the EFCC claims were derived from unlawful sources.
Several charges relate to the alleged acquisition of luxury properties in Abuja and other locations, purportedly aimed at concealing the true source and ownership of the funds. The properties include:
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A luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, acquired for ₦500 million
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A property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, purchased for ₦700 million
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A residence in Jabi District, valued at ₦850 million
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Additional properties on Rhine Street, Maitama (₦430 million); in Asokoro District (₦210 million and ₦325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (₦120 million)
The EFCC further alleges that Malami used illicit proceeds totaling ₦952 million to acquire multiple properties across Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023, allegedly through proxies and corporate fronts to obscure ownership.
Hajia Bashir Asabe, described as an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, is alleged to have played a key role in facilitating the property transactions and disguising Malami’s beneficial interest in the assets.
The commission maintains that the alleged acts contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
To prove its case, the EFCC has lined up a wide range of witnesses, including investigators, bank officials, bureau de change operators, and company representatives.
The case is expected to draw significant public attention given Malami’s former position as Nigeria’s chief law officer and his central role in government during the period under investigation.
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