Alleged ₦1.014bn Money Laundering: Tinubu's Govt Takes Action Against Buhari's Ex-Minister and Son
- Federal government files 16-count money laundering charges against former Minister Abubakar Malami and his son
- Allegations include over ₦1 billion in illicit financial activities linked to property acquisitions
- Case marks a significant escalation in Tinubu administration's anti-corruption efforts targeting high-profile figures
The federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commenced legal action against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Also the federal government pressed charges against his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged money laundering involving more than ₦1.014 billion.
Source: Twitter
This, however, marks a significant escalation in the administration’s anti-corruption drive, Vanguard reported.
The charges, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, also list a third defendant, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and stem from alleged financial transactions traced to a commercial bank and linked to multiple property acquisitions and corporate dealings.
FG files 16-count charge
According to court documents, the Federal Government has filed a 16-count charge accusing the defendants of laundering and concealing ₦1,014,848,500 allegedly derived from unlawful activities.
Prosecutors allege that between July 2022 and June 2025, within Abuja, the defendants procured a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to disguise the origin and movement of the funds.
The charge states that the alleged acts contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and earlier money laundering laws, with penalties attached under the relevant sections.
Alleged use of companies to conceal funds
In one of the charges, the government alleges that Mr Malami and his son knowingly used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as a front to conceal the unlawful origin of the funds lodged in a Sterling Bank account, Channels Telvesion reported.
Prosecutors argue that the defendants “reasonably ought to have known” that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, an allegation which, if proven, amounts to money laundering under Nigerian law.
Properties and transactions under scrutiny
Several of the charges detail alleged payments for high-value properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi State, including luxury duplexes in Maitama, properties in Asokoro and Gwarimpa, and hotel developments linked to corporate entities.
The government further alleges that some of the funds were retained as cash collateral for bank loans and that others were channelled through hotel and property companies to obscure their source.
Alleged conspiracy and concealment
The charge sheet also accuses the defendants of conspiring at various times between 2015 and 2024 to indirectly acquire landed properties using proceeds of unlawful activities.
Source: Facebook
One of the counts alleges that the defendants jointly conspired to disguise the source of funds used to purchase a luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja, an offence prosecutors say violates Section 21 of the 2022 Money Laundering Act.
Legal basis of the charges
The alleged offences are said to be contrary to multiple provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under the respective sections of those laws.
If convicted, the defendants could face severe penalties, including lengthy prison terms and forfeiture of assets.
Background of the accused
Mr Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The case comes amid renewed efforts by the Tinubu administration to pursue high-profile corruption cases, particularly those involving former public office holders.
The matter is expected to come up for arraignment, as legal observers await the defendants’ response to the charges and the court’s next direction.
Malami asks EFCC chairman to recuse himself
Legit.ng earlier reported that former President Muhammadu Buhari's minister of justice and AGF, Abubakar Malami, has called on the current chairman of the EFCC to recuse himself from his investigation.
Malami gave the reason for demanding that the EFCC chairman step aside in his matter and called on the AGF and Minister of Justice to take action. The former minister also claimed that he was being witch-hunted by the EFCC over his defection from the ruling APC to the ADC.
Source: Legit.ng
