EFCC: Ex-AGF, Abubakar Malami, Faces Alleged N9bn Money Laundering Charge

•Commission says no court order served for his release yet, insists he’s being held lawfully

Alex Enumah in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a 16-count money laundering charge against the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, Hajia Asabe Bashir, are being accused of conspiracy and concealment of proceeds of unlawful activities running into billions of naira.

According to the charge, the defendants were said to have committed the  various alleged offences between November 2015 and June 2025.

Malami, who was Minister of Justice under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been in custody of the anti-graft agency since December 8, following his failure to meet his bail conditions granted him by the EFCC.

The defendants would however be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after the suit is assigned to a judge.

The commission in the suit filed by Mr Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, claimed that the funds allegedly acquired unlawfully were used for the purchase of luxury properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and other locations.

In count one, Malami and his son were said to have between between July 2022 and June 2025, “procure METROPOLITAN AUTO TECH LIMITED to conceal the unlawful origin of the total sum of N1, 014, 848, 500.00 in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387”, when they reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activities and 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.”

Malami and his son were, in count two, alleged to have procured the same METROPOLITAN AUTO TECH LIMITED to conceal the unlawful origin of another sum of over N600 million.

In another count, they were alleged to have in November 2022, used Rahamaniyya Properties Limited to conceal N500 million paid for a luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja.

While in count five the trio were alleged to have sometimes in September 2024, conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N1, 049, 173, 926. 13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd Jabi savings Account No. 0179011105 between November 2022 and September 2024.

In count six, they were accused of indirectly taking control of the aggregate sum of N1, 362, 887, 872.96, paid through the savings account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd in Union Bank Plc when they “reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed proceeds of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2) (d) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

In another count, Malami, his son and Hajia Bashir were also charged with concealing the sum of N700 million paid for a property at No. 3 Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja, and N850 million for another property at Plot 683, Jabi District, Abuja.

Similarly, the three defendants were said to have in February 2018, acquired No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja, for N430 million and in the same month concealed N210 million for No. 3130, Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro, Abuja.

They were also charged with concealing N325 million for No. 1241B, Asokoro District, between March and June 2021, and N120 million for No. 27 Efab Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja, between November 2015 and January 2016.

Manwhile, the lead counsel to the EFCC, Chief Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, has clarified that neither the commission nor his law firm, has been served with any court order directing the release of Malami.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been reported to have admitted Malami to bail on December 23, while delivering ruling in an exparte application brought by the former AGF.

Reacting to claims by Malami’s aide that the commission has refused to release him in line with the order of the FCT High Court, Okutepa, in a statement, stressed that he was yet to see or receive the said order for Malami’s release.

“For avoidance of doubt, I state categorically on my honour that as of the time of this statement, no court order has ever been served on my law firm or the EFCC. I just read of the alleged orders on social media when my attention was drawn to it and forwarded to me.

“But let me say it with respect that within my limited knowledge of law and given the facts as I know and which facts are also known to Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his legal team, it would be most bizarre, and too surprising for any judicial officer to grant bail ex-parte to a criminal defendant without putting the detaining authority on notice.

“It would be most absurd, bizarre and a gross professional misconduct in an infamous manner in the legal profession for any legal practitioner to make an application ex-parte to release criminal defendant on bail, given the facts that are well-known and notorious as shown below.”

Okutepa recalled that Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court had on December 10, 2025, first remanded Malami in the custody of EFCC for a period of 14 days, pending investigations by the EFCC, adding that the order still existed and has not been set aside.

He added that the order was served on Malami and his legal team.

“Secondly, despite being aware of the said orders made by Oriji on December 10, 2025, the legal team of Abubakar Malami, SAN, in gross abuse of judicial process proceeded to file an application for bail on behalf of Abubakar Malami SAN before the FCT High Court sitting at Nyanya on the false grounds that he was being illegally detained.

“He appeared before his lordship Babaginda Hassan December 15, 2025 and successfully showed that Malami was not being unlawfully detained and that he was being detained on valid orders of court. His lordship adjourned the ruling to December 18, 2025.

“On December 18, 2025, Justice Hassan in a well-considered ruling dismissed the bail application on the grounds amongst others that Abubakar Malami, SAN, was not being unlawfully detained having regards to the orders made by his lordship Oriji on December 10, 2025.

“The orders of Oriji and Hassan made on December 10, 2025 and December 18, 2025 are still extant and have not been set aside.

“Despite these rulings, it is surprising that the legal team of Abubakar Malami, SAN, who was fully aware of these orders could proceed to file an ex-parte application before Justice Bello Kawu of FCT High Court and for Justice Kawu to grant bail to Abubakar Malami, SAN, ex-parte without any modicum of respect for the orders of his brother judges,which his lordship is under obligations to take judicial notice and which orders the legal team of Abubakar Malami SAN is under duty to draw the attention of his lordship to.

“These explanations have become necessary to avoid the public being misled by unnecessary grandstanding of the press statement from the so called aide of Abubakar Malami,SAN, as if I have not guided EFCC properly. Abubakar Malami SAN is being lawfully detained upon valid and subsisting court orders.”