Bank representatives and Bureau De Change operators are set to testify in money laundering proceedings against former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, SAN, and two co-defendants, according to court filings reviewed by Naira metrics on Wednesday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has prepared charges involving alleged infractions of the Money Laundering Act, with transactions totaling billions of naira at the center of the case.
Details of the Charges
In case file FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, Malami faces accusations alongside Hajia Bashir Asabe and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami. The 16-count charge sheet alleges violations related to concealing unlawful funds and acquiring property through illicit proceeds.
The first count claims Malami and Abdulaziz enlisted Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide the illegal source of N1.01 billion held at Sterling Bank.
The final count alleges Malami purchased multiple properties valued at N415 million by the EFCC, including:
- A residence at No. 28 Bagudu Kaltio Crescent, Gwarimpa, Abuja
- Plot 13, Ipent 7 Estate, Abuja
- A commercial plaza with toilets, laundry, and storage facilities near Birnin Kebbi Market
- 100 hectares along Birnin Kebbi–Jega Road
- Plot 157, Lamido Crescent, Nassarawa Road GRA, Kano
The charges encompass procurement, conspiracy to launder funds, and concealing or acquiring proceeds from unlawful activities.
Witness List and Investigation
Court documents indicate the EFCC intends to call approximately 10 categories of witnesses, including unnamed officials from Zenith Bank and Sterling Bank, along with Bureau De Change operators. Commission investigators will also present findings from their probe.
These allegations remain unproven pending a court verdict.
Malami’s Response
Through a Wednesday press release, Malami’s office condemned what it termed the EFCC’s “brazen, contemptuous, and lawless conduct.”
Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami’s media aide, stated that following a 23 December 2025 bail order from the FCT High Court with conditions already met, EFCC officials refused to accept the court-backed documentation, turned away the bailiff, and continued detaining Malami in defiance of judicial authority.
The statement noted that despite holding Malami for over 14 days, the EFCC has not brought him before any court, describing the detention as “illegal, unconstitutional, and oppressive.”
Malami’s office asserts that his detention relied on a High Court order permitting a maximum 14-day hold, which expired on Wednesday. They argue that regardless of the separate bail granted, the EFCC should have either released him or arraigned him in court, having done neither.
Background Context
Malami previously claimed the EFCC and Chairman Ola Olukoyede were conducting an intimidation campaign against him. His team alleged that recent raids on his Abuja and Kebbi State properties were retaliatory responses to his demand that Olukoyede recuse himself due to potential bias related to the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission Report.
The EFCC has rejected these accusations, maintaining its investigations are non-partisan.
This case forms part of broader investigations targeting former officials from the Buhari and Jonathan administrations. In 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a seven-year money laundering case against former AGF Mohammed Bello Adoke, with Justice Inyang Ekwo ruling he had no case to answer after the EFCC closed its prosecution.
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