The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Bashir Asabe, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged money laundering.
The defendants appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite on a 16-count charge and all pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
According to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the Federal Government alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son engaged Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of N1,014,848,500 and another sum of N600,013,460.40 domiciled in a Sterling Bank account.
The EFCC further alleged that Malami, his son and Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, indirectly disguised the origin of N500 million used to purchase a luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja, in November 2022.
The defendants were also accused of conspiring to conceal the source of over N1.049 billion paid through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Limited between November 2022 and September 2024.
In addition, Malami and his son were alleged to have taken control of N1.362 billion through the same hotel account between November 2022 and October 2025.
Other charges include the alleged concealment of N700 million used to purchase a property at Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja, in 2018, and N850 million used to acquire another property in Jabi District in 2020.
The EFCC said the alleged offences contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended in 2022.
The anti-graft agency also disclosed that it had previously traced 41 properties allegedly linked to Malami, with an estimated value of about N212 billion.
The case was adjourned to a later date for further hearing.
