The Federal Government has filed fresh money laundering charges against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged financial transactions exceeding N1 billion.
The 16-count charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja (FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025), names the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant, with Hajia Bashir Asabe listed as a co-defendant.
Court documents allege that the defendants handled, transferred, and concealed funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. Investigators traced a total of N1,014,848,500 to a Sterling Bank account linked to the transactions.
The prosecution claims the funds were laundered through corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, which was allegedly used to obscure the source and movement of the money. It is further alleged that between 2015 and 2025, several properties were acquired in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states using illicit funds. These reportedly include luxury homes in Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Jabi, with some transactions occurring while Malami was in office as Attorney-General.
One count alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of over N1.014 billion, an offence said to contravene the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The charge sheet also details the alleged use of bank accounts, hotel businesses, and real estate firms to retain, move, or disguise large sums of money, including payments for hotels, plazas, duplexes, and landed properties.
Prosecutors argue that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” the funds were derived from illegal activities.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has faced repeated corruption allegations during his tenure, which he consistently denied.
In a related case, the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted Malami interim bail in a separate matter involving the EFCC, ordering him to surrender his passport and provide two sureties.
The current case has been adjourned until January 5, 2026, for further proceedings.