The Federal Government has instituted a major 16-count criminal charge against Abubakar Malami, the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, over allegations of money laundering involving billions of naira.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, detail a series of complex financial transactions allegedly designed to conceal the illicit origin of funds. The co-defendant is Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd.
According to the charge sheet, the allegations span from 2018 to 2025, a period covering Malami’s tenure as the nation’s chief law officer. The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of funds through property purchases and corporate accounts.
Key Allegations from the Charge Sheet:
- Concealment via Auto Company: Between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son allegedly procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the origins of N1,014,848,500 and another N600,013,460.4 held in a Sterling Bank account.
- Luxury Maitama Duplex: In November 2022, the defendants are accused of disguising the origin of N500,000,000 used to purchase a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, from Efab Properties Ltd, for the benefit of Malami SAN.
- Conspiracy on Hotel Funds: In September 2024, the trio allegedly conspired to disguise N1,049,173,926.13 that passed through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd between November 2022 and September 2024.
- Control of Illicit Hotel Proceeds: Between November 2022 and October 2025, Malami and his son are charged with indirectly taking control of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the savings account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd.
- Purchase of Garki Hotel Property: Sometime between November and December 2018, Malami and Bashir Asabe allegedly concealed the origin of N700,000,000 used to purchase the property at No. 3 Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki, Abuja (Hamonia Hotels Ltd).
- Purchase of Jabi District Plot: Between September and December 2020, all three defendants are accused of concealing the source of N850,000,000 paid for Plot 683 in Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04, linked to Meethaq Hotels Ltd.
The Federal Government stated that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the funds in question constituted proceeds of unlawful activity. The alleged offences contravene various sections of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
This high-profile prosecution marks a significant escalation in the legal scrutiny of Malami, who until May 2023 was the government’s top prosecutor and legal adviser. The case is expected to draw intense public and political attention.
Discussion about this post