The Federal Government has filed fresh money laundering charges against a 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 was filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is listed as the complainant, while Hajia Bashir Asabe is named as a co-defendant.
According to court documents, the defendants are accused of handling, transferring, and concealing funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. Investigators allegedly traced a total sum of N1,014,848,500 to a Sterling Bank account connected to the transactions.
The prosecution claims the funds were laundered through several corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, which was allegedly used as a front to conceal the origin and movement of the money.
It is further alleged that between 2015 and 2025, the defendants acquired multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states using illicit funds. The properties reportedly include luxury residences in high-profile areas such as Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Jabi, with some of the transactions said to have occurred while Malami was in office as Attorney-General.
One of the charges alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to disguise the unlawful origin of more than 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, transfer, or conceal large sums of money, including payments linked to hotels, plazas, duplexes, and landed properties.
Prosecutors contend that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the funds were derived from illegal activities.
Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and faced several corruption allegations during his tenure, which he consistently denied.
In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted Malami interim bail in a separate case. The court ordered him to surrender his international passport and comply with existing bail conditions, including the provision of two sureties.
The case has been adjourned until January 5, 2026, for further proceedings.
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