The Nigerian government has filed criminal charges against former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, in connection with money laundering and the concealment of illicit funds amounting to over ₦1.014 billion.

Court documents seen by SaharaReporters reveal that the charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, were filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Also listed as a co-defendant is Hajia Bashir Asabe.

The 16-count indictment accuses Malami, his son, and others of laundering and concealing N1,014,848,500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) in a Sterling Bank Plc account. The prosecution alleges that the funds were of unlawful origin and that the defendants should have reasonably known that they were proceeds of illegal activities.

Between July 2022 and June 2025, the government claims the defendants used a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal the origin and movement of the funds, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.

Some of the charges also involve accusations that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as a front to disguise the illegal nature of the funds. The charges are based on alleged financial activities that took place between 2018 and 2025, with several millions of naira allegedly funneled through multiple transactions and property acquisitions in Abuja.

Notably, Malami is also accused of using the proceeds of unlawful activity to purchase high-value properties, including a luxury duplex and multiple properties in prominent areas of Abuja. In one case, they are accused of disguising the unlawful origin of ₦500 million paid for the purchase of a luxury duplex in Maitama.

Additionally, the charges reveal multiple instances where Malami, while serving as Attorney-General, used various entities to conceal the true origin of funds, including payments for real estate purchases valued in hundreds of millions of naira.

The government has charged Malami and his son under sections of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the 2011 Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, accusing them of offenses punishable under the same laws.

Abubakar Malami, who served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023, is now facing scrutiny from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over these allegations, which follow a growing list of former top officials facing investigation after leaving office.

In a related development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Malami interim bail in his ongoing legal battle with the EFCC, under the condition that he surrenders his passport and provides sureties. The case is scheduled for a hearing on January 5, 2026.

The Malami family’s involvement in the alleged illicit financial activities has sparked significant media attention, with calls for further investigations into the properties and funds associated with the former AGF.