The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), with money laundering.
According to The Nation, Malami will face a 16-count charge.
The EFCC charged him under Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended and punishable under Section 15(3).
He is charged along with his son, Abdulaziz, and an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, Hajia Bashir Asabe.
In the charge, the first in three series, Malami was alleged to have laundered about ₦9billion to buy choice houses in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and others.
The ex-AGF is to account for how he came about 30 houses, valued at ₦212.8billion.
They were reportedly mostly acquired during his eight years in office while serving in the government of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The EFCC may invoke the Non-Conviction Asset Forfeiture clause of its Establishment Act to seize some of the properties.
It has a 14-day window to ask anyone interested to show cause as to why the assets should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The anti-graft commission is awaiting a date from the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the commencement of the trial.
The charge sheet was dated December 23rd, 2025.
In what appears a mother of all trials, those who will prosecute Malami are Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) and Ekene Iheanacho (SAN), leading 14 other lawyers.
No fewer than 10 witnesses have been frontloaded to the court in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
The 16 charges were revealing of how Malami engaged Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to launder funds.
The charge sheet read in part, “That you Abubakar Malami SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami between July 2022 and June, 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of ₦1, 014, 848, 500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami between September 2020 and February, 2021in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of ₦600,013,460.4 in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activitiesand you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami sometime in March, 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the total sum of ₦600,000,000.00 in Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as cash collateral for a loan of ₦500,000,000.00 granted to RAYHAAN HOTELS LTD by Sterling Bank Plc when you reasonably ought to have known that the said cash collateral of ₦600,000,000.00 was proceed of unlawful activities and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amendedpunishable under section 15(3) of the same Act
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited sometime in November, 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did indirectly disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of ₦500,000,000.00 paid to Efab Properties Ltd paid for purchase of property known as luxury duplex at Amazon street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone A06 Maitama District, Abuja in favour of Abubakar Malami SAN when you reasonably ought to have known that the said ₦500million formed proceed of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2) (a) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
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