FG files 16-count ‘money laundering’ charge against Malami, son

The federal government has filed a 16-count charge againstAbubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation and minister ofjustice, over alleged money laundering. The charges were filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Malami’s co-defendants are his son, Abubakar AbdulazizMalami, and Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties. In the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the federalgovernment alleged that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025,procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to “conceal the unlawful origin of thetotal sum of N1, 014, 848, 500.00”. The federal government also alleged that Malami procuredMetropolitan Auto Tech Limited to “conceal the unlawful origin of the total sumof N600, 013, 460.4 (Six Hundred Million, Thirteen Thousand, Four Hundred andSixty Naira, Four Kobo) in the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0079182387 whenyou reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds ofunlawful activities”. The federal government said the alleged offences contravenedthe Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011. “That you ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN whilst being the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, ABUBAKAR ABDULAZIZ MALAMI, and HAJIA BASHIR ASABE anemployee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd sometime in November, 2022 in Abujawithin the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did indirectly disguise theunlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N500, 000, 000.00 (Five Hundred MillionNaira) paid to Efab Properties Ltd paid for purchase of property known asluxury duplex at Amazon street, Plot No. 3011 within Cadastral Zone A06 MaitamaDistrict, Abuja in favour of ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN when you reasonably ought tohave known that the said N500, 000, 000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) formedproceed of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary tosection 18(2) (a) and punishable under section 18(3) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the charge sheet reads in part. “That you ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN, ABUBAKAR ABDULAZIZ MALAMI,and HAJIA BASHIR ASABE an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd sometimes inSeptember 2024 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtconspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N1, 049, 173,926. 13 (One Billion, Forty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy-ThreeThousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-six Naira, Thirteen Kobo) paid through theUnion Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd Jabi savings Account No. 0179011105between November 2022 and September 2024 and you thereby committed an offencecontrary to section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act)2022 and punishable under section 18(2) (a) and (3) of the same Act. “That you ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN, and ABUBAKAR ABDULAZIZ MALAMIbetween November 2022 and October, 2025 indirectly took control of theaggregate sum of N1, 362, 887, 872.96 (One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty TwoMillion, Eight Hundred and Eighty Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy TwoNaira, Ninety Six Kobo paid through the savings account of Meethaq Hotels Ltdin Union Bank Plc when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fundsformed proceeds of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offencecontrary to section 18(2) (d) and punishable under section 18(3) of the MoneyLaundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. “That you ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN whilst being the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and HAJIA BASHIR ASABE an employee of RahamaniyyaProperties Ltd sometimes between November and December, 2018 in Abuja withinthe jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly concealed the unlawfulorigin of the aggregate sum of N700, 000, 000.00 (Seven Hundred Million Naira)paid for the purchase of the property described as No. 3 Onitsha Crescent Area11, Garki Abuja (Hamonia Hotels Ltd) in favour of ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN when youreasonably ought to have known that the said sum of N700, 000,000.00 formedproceeds of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary tosection 15(2) (d) and punishable under section 15(3) of the Money Laundering(Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended. “That you ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN whilst being the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, ABUBAKAR ABDULAZIZ MALAMI and HAJIA BASHIR ASABE anemployee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd sometimes between September 2020 andDecember, 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court,indirectly concealed the aggregate sum of N850, 000, 000.00 (Eight Hundred andFifty Million Naira) paid for the purchase of property described as Plot 683Jabi District Cadastral Zone B04 (Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Jabi) when you reasonablyought to have known that the said sum of N850, 000, 000.00 represented proceedsof unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section15(2) (d) and punishable under section 15(3) of the Money Laundering(Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.” The federal government has also identified properties worthbillions of naira, alleg

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