Abubakar Malami Arraigned, Pleads Not Guilty to Money Laundering Charges

Abubakar Malami, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), appeared in court on Tuesday about accusations of money laundering made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to reports, Malami appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and another individual about accusations of money laundering.

However, they entered a not guilty plea to the 16-count accusation against them.
Recall that Malami, his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an acquaintance, Hajia Bashir Asabe, were charged with 16 counts by the EFCC before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly laundering money and acquiring properties worth more over N8.7 billion illegally.

The defendants were charged in charge sheet FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025 with conspiring to use bank accounts, corporate fronts, and real estate transactions over the course of almost ten years to conceal, disguise, retain, and indirectly gain proceeds of illicit operations.

Malami was the country’s chief law officer when the accused offenses were allegedly committed between 2015 and 2025, mostly in Abuja.

Malami and his son reportedly utilized Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide the illegal source of N1.014 billion held in a Sterling Bank account between July 2022 and June 2025, according to the charge submitted by the EFCC and signed by a prosecution team headed by Chief J.S. Okutepa, SAN.

The commission also said that between September 2020 and February 2021, an additional N600.01 million was hidden in the same account.

The defendants were also charged by the EFCC with keeping N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million loan given to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd. by Sterling Bank Plc, even though they were reportedly aware that the money came from illegal activity.

In a different count, the anti-graft agency said that the defendants indirectly gained control of N1.36 billion paid through Meethaq Hotels Ltd.’s Union Bank account between November 2022 and October 2025, money they allegedly knew to be illegal.

The Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 are allegedly violated by the suspected conduct, according to the EFCC.

To bolster its case, the anti-graft agency has named a number of witnesses, including detectives, bank employees, bureau de change operators, and business representatives.