Court Remands Malami, Son, Co-Defendant in Kuje Correctional Centre

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in prison custody.

The court directed that Malami, who is standing trial on a 16-count charge of money laundering alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and a co-defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe, be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre until January 2, 2026, when their formal bail applications will be considered.

Trial Justice Emeka Nwike issued the remand order after rejecting an oral bail application made 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 a counter-affidavit.

The defendants are accused of laundering public funds amounting to about N9 billion, allegedly in violation of Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Act.

According to the EFCC, the former minister allegedly used illicit funds to acquire high-value properties in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and other cities.

The anti-graft agency further alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, the defendants used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal over N1.01 billion in a Sterling Bank account. They were also accused of siphoning about N600 million through the same firm between September 2020 and February 2021.

Additionally, the EFCC told the court 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 unlawful activities.

Some of the charges read in part:

“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.”

Another count stated:

“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.”

Another charge read:

“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 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.”

A further count alleged:

“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 for the purchase of a luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Plot No. 3011, Cadastral Zone A06, Maitama District, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed proceeds of unlawful activity, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Opinion Nigeria News