Nigeria’s federal government has filed 16 criminal charges alleging money laundering totaling more than ₦1.01 billion ($650,000) against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and a third defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe, court documents show.
The charges were filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing the defendants of laundering, concealing, and disguising the origins of funds allegedly linked to unlawful activities through bank transactions, property purchases, and corporate fronts.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors allege that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as a conduit to conceal the origin and movement of ₦1,014,848,500 traced to a Sterling Bank Plc account.
The government claims the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the funds represented proceeds of unlawful activities and that their actions amounted to violations of Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One count states that Malami and his son procured the company to disguise the source of the funds held in the bank account, an offense prosecutors say is punishable under Section 18(3) of the Act.
Some of the charges relate to periods when Malami served as Nigeria’s chief law officer. Prosecutors allege that between September 2020 and February 2021, while Malami was Attorney-General, the defendants concealed ₦600 million through the same corporate vehicle, in violation of earlier money laundering laws.
In another count, the government alleges that in March 2021, ₦600 million held by Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited was retained as cash collateral for a ₦500 million loan issued by Sterling Bank to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, despite the funds allegedly being proceeds of unlawful activity.
A significant portion of the charges centers on alleged property purchases in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi, and other locations. Prosecutors accuse Malami and his co-defendants of using illicit funds to acquire high-value real estate while disguising the source of the payments.
One charge alleges that in November 2022, the defendants indirectly concealed the origin of ₦500 million paid to Efab Properties Ltd for a luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja, allegedly purchased for Malami’s benefit.
Another count claims that between March and June 2021, Malami and Hajia Bashir Asabe concealed ₦325 million used to acquire a property in Asokoro, Abuja. Additional charges reference earlier property purchases in Gwarimpa, Abuja, and transactions dating back to 2015 and 2016, involving sums of ₦120 million.
Prosecutors further allege that between 2018 and 2021, Malami concealed ₦415 million used to acquire multiple properties, including residential plots, commercial facilities, and large parcels of land in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi State.
Several counts accuse the defendants of conspiracy to launder funds, alleging coordinated efforts over multiple years to acquire and retain assets derived from unlawful activities. One charge states that Malami, his son, and Hajia Bashir Asabe conspired to conceal funds used to purchase the Maitama luxury duplex, contrary to the 2022 money laundering law.
Another alleges that Malami and others “at large” conspired between 2016 and 2022 to indirectly acquire landed properties using illicit proceeds.
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The charges cite both the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and the newer Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, reflecting the span of time covered by the alleged offenses.
Court records did not indicate whether the defendants have entered pleas, and there was no immediate public response from Malami or his legal representatives at the time of filing.
Malami served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, making him one of the longest-serving justice ministers in Nigeria’s history.
The case is expected to proceed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where prosecutors will seek to establish the origin of the funds and the alleged role of corporate entities and intermediaries in concealing them.