FG charges ex-AGF Malami, son with alleged ₦1.014bn money laundering

The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged money laundering.

The charges, filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, relate to the alleged laundering of funds of unlawful origin amounting to more than ₦1.014 billion.

Court documents show that the defendants were arraigned in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025. Also listed as a co-defendant is Hajia Bashir Asabe.

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According to the 16-count charge, the government alleges that Malami, his son and others were involved in the laundering and concealment of ₦1,014,848,500, which was allegedly traced to a Sterling Bank Plc account (No. 0079182387).

The prosecution claims that the funds were of unlawful origin and that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the money represented proceeds of illegal activities.

The charges further allege that between July 2022 and June 2025, within Abuja and the jurisdiction of the court, the defendants procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the funds.

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According to the prosecution, the company was allegedly used as a front to disguise the source and movement of the money, an action the government says constitutes money laundering under Nigerian law.

The alleged offences are said to be contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.

The charge sheet details the alleged role of Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited in the purported laundering of the funds.

Abubakar Malami, SAN, served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a tenure during which he faced repeated allegations of corruption and abuse of office—claims he consistently denied while in office.