The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, remanded the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, in prison custody.
The court ordered that Malami, who is facing a 16-count money laundering charge alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and an accomplice, Hajia Bashir Asabe, should remain at Kuje Correctional Centre until 2 January 2026, when their formal application for bail will be heard.
Trial Justice Emeka Nwike issued the remand order after rejecting an oral bail application filed by the defendants through their legal team led by Mr J. B. Daudu, SAN.
The court held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which opposed the bail request, must be given the opportunity to file its counter-affidavit before the application could be considered.
The defendants are alleged to have laundered public funds totalling about N9 billion, contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
According to the EFCC, the former minister used proceeds of unlawful activities to acquire high-value properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and other cities.
The anti-graft agency told the court that the defendants allegedly used a firm, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, between July 2022 and June 2025, to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account.
They were further accused of using the same company to siphon about N600 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
The EFCC also alleged that in March 2021, the defendants retained N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million loan obtained by Rayhaan Hotels Ltd from Sterling Bank, despite allegedly knowing that the funds were proceeds of crime.
Some of the counts in the charge against the defendants read:
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami between July 2022 and June, 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1, 014, 848, 500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
“That you, Abubakar Malami SAN, whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between September 2020 and February 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did procure Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N600,013,460.4 in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you, Abubakar Malami SAN, whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, sometime in March, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did retain the total sum of N600,000,000.00 in Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as cash collateral for a loan of N500,000,000.00 granted to RAYHAAN HOTELS LTD by Sterling Bank Plc when you reasonably ought to have known that the said cash collateral of N600,000,000.00 was the proceeds of unlawful activities, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended, punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Abubakar Malami SAN whilst being the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited sometime in November, 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did indirectly disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N500,000,000.00 paid to Efab Properties Ltd paid for purchase of property known as luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone A06 Maitama District, Abuja in favour of Abubakar Malami SAN when you reasonably ought to have known that the said N500 million formed proceed of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
