Nigeria’s former attorney general and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, has been charged with multiple counts of money laundering and criminal conspiracy involving billions of naira, according to court filings cited by media.
The charges were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Prosecutors accuse Malami, his son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and a third defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe, of concealing the origins of funds allegedly obtained through unlawful activities between 2015 and 2025.
Investigators allege that the defendants used corporate bank accounts and high value property acquisitions to disguise transactions exceeding eight billion naira, equivalent to about $5.5 million. The commission claims Asabe was linked to Malami’s real estate business.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court on Tuesday. The court ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the financial crimes commission pending a bail hearing scheduled for January 2.
According to the prosecution, Malami, who served as Nigeria’s chief law officer from 2015 until 2023, conspired to acquire assets using illicit funds while still in office. Properties cited in the charge sheet include a luxury duplex in the Maitama district of Abuja, hotels located in Jabi, and land plots in Gwarimpa and Asokoro.