Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday morning to be formally arraigned on a 16-count money laundering indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s chief law officer from 2015 to 2023 under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite at about 8:55 a.m., flanked by operatives of the EFCC as the proceedings were about to commence.
The arraignment marks a significant escalation in the high-profile case that has drawn intense public and media scrutiny and underscores Nigeria’s ongoing anti-graft efforts.
According to court documents and EFCC filings, Malami will be tried alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, a company allegedly linked to the former minister.
The 16-count indictment accuses the defendants of engaging in a series of suspicious financial transactions between 2015 and 2025, a period that encompasses Malami’s tenure as AGF, with the purpose of concealing the unlawful origin of large sums of money through bank accounts, corporate vehicles, and extensive real estate purchases across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi States.
In count one, the EFCC alleges that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal N1,014,848,500 in a Sterling Bank account, knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
Subsequent counts detail further alleged misconduct, including: Concealment of N600,013,460.40 through the same company between September 2020 and February 2021; using N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million loan to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd in March 2021, despite knowing the funds’ illicit origin; and acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, including a luxury duplex in Maitama and estates in Garki, Jabi, Asokoro and Gwarimpa — with funds allegedly derived from unlawful activity.
The EFCC has also alleged that the defendants retained sums they “knew were proceeds of unlawful activity” in violation of the **Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022”.
As the court was yet to begin seating at the time of reporting, Malami’s appearance was largely procedural, with the formal arraignment expected to proceed before Justice Nwite.
Details from the EFCC’s charging document indicate a layered and complex allegation of financial wrongdoing spanning a decade and involving multiple corporate and personal accounts. The prosecution plans to call a range of witnesses, including EFCC officials, bank representatives, bureau de change operators, and financial experts, to testify about how the intelligence and petitions were received and how the alleged illicit transactions were traced.
Malami has been under investigation and in the custody of the EFCC since early December 2025, and his legal team previously secured interim bail, which was reportedly granted by a Federal Capital Territory High Court judge in late December, a development that has itself been mired in procedural debate over service of the order.
The case has generated significant public attention and debate, with some civic groups stressing the importance of due process and transparency, while others view the prosecution as vindication of anti-corruption efforts. Regardless, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
With arraignment now underway, the next step will be for Malami and his co-defendants to enter pleas. The matter is expected to unfold over the coming months as both the prosecution and defence present evidence and arguments.
