A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and associate Hajia Bashir Asabe at Kuje Correctional Centre. The court set January 2, 2026, for the hearing of their bail applications.
The trio had been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering, unlawful acquisition of assets, and conspiracy. All three pleaded not guilty before Justice Emeka Nwite.
Malami, who served from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is accused of misusing his office to funnel illicit funds through corporate entities, bank transactions, and high-value property deals he “reasonably ought to have known” were illegal.
Court filings allege that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd to launder over N1.014 billion. Another charge claims they used N600 million as collateral for a loan for Rayhaan Hotels Ltd despite allegedly knowing the funds were suspicious.
The EFCC also claims the defendants acquired multiple high-end properties and hotels in Abuja, Jabi, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Kano, including luxury homes on Amazon Street and Rhine Street, using corporate fronts and proxies.
The anti-graft agency listed investigators, bankers, and Bureau De Change operators as witnesses in its Proof of Evidence. A witness reportedly stated that his company’s accounts were used for multimillion-naira transactions without his knowledge.
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