Alleged N8.7bn money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns Malami, son, wife

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday ordered the remand of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, his wife, and son at the Kuje Correctional Centre following their re-arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion.

While Malami and his son, Abdulazeez Malami, were ordered to be taken to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, directed that his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, be taken to the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State.

The judge made the order shortly after the three defendants pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charges preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.

After the plea, counsel to the former AGF and his co-defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, drew the court’s attention to the January 7 bail granted by Justice Emeka Nwite of the same court and perfected by his clients.

He urged the court to adopt the same bail conditions on the grounds that the Federal High Court is one court in Nigeria and in the interest of justice.

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Although counsel to the EFCC, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, confirmed the grant and perfection of the bail conditions, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the proceedings before Justice Emeka Nwite had been legally terminated and that fresh bail applications must be filed.

An attempt by Daudu to move an oral bail application for the defendants was rejected by the judge, who consequently fixed March 6 for the hearing of the bail applications and trial.

In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that:

“You, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when you reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing 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.”

Count five reads:

“That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, 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 Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act.”

Count six reads:

“That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

It would be recalled that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on January 7 granted Malami, his wife, and son bail in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties in like sum, pending trial.

Justice Nwite also ordered that the two sureties must have landed properties in the Maitama, Asokoro, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja and ruled that the documents of the properties belonging to the sureties be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, while the sureties are also to depose to affidavits of means.

Other conditions included that Malami deposit his travel documents with the court and not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.

In addition, the former AGF and his sureties were ordered to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court.

The same bail conditions were extended to Malami’s son and his wife by Justice Emeka Nwite.

The judge made the order shortly after the three defendants pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charges preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.

After the plea, counsel to the former AGF and his co-defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, drew the court’s attention to the January 7 bail granted by Justice Emeka Nwite of the same court and perfected by his clients.

He urged the court to adopt the same bail conditions on the grounds that the Federal High Court is one court in Nigeria and in the interest of justice.

Although counsel to the EFCC, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, confirmed the grant and perfection of the bail conditions, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the proceedings before Justice Emeka Nwite had been legally terminated and that fresh bail applications must be filed.

An attempt by Daudu to move an oral bail application for the defendants was rejected by the judge, who consequently fixed March 6 for the hearing of the bail applications and trial.

In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that:

“You, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when you reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing 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.”

Count five reads:

“That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, 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 Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act.”

Count six reads:

“That you, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

It would be recalled that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on January 7 granted Malami, his wife, and son bail in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties in like sum, pending trial.

Justice Nwite also ordered that the two sureties must have landed properties in the Maitama, Asokoro, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja and ruled that the documents of the properties belonging to the sureties be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, while the sureties are also to depose to affidavits of means.

Other conditions included that Malami deposit his travel documents with the court and not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.

In addition, the former AGF and his sureties were ordered to deposit two recent passport photographs with the court.

The same bail conditions were extended to Malami’s son and his wife by Justice Emeka Nwite.