The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and their son, Abdulaziz, over alleged money laundering.
The defendants were re-arraigned on Friday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja following the reassignment of the case.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the EFCC informed the court that the matter was appearing before the new trial judge for the first time and requested that the pleas of the defendants be taken.
The prosecution also sought to correct figures in counts 11 and 12 of the charge, applying to amend the amounts from N325 billion to N325 million in count 11, and from N120 billion to N120 million in count 12. The defence did not oppose the application, and the court granted the request.
Malami and the other defendants subsequently pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge.
The former AGF and his co-defendants were initially arraigned in December 2025 during the court’s vacation period. After the vacation, the case was reassigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to another judge, who later withdrew for personal reasons, leading to its reassignment to Justice Abdulmalik.
According to the charge, the EFCC alleged that between 2015 and 2025, the defendants conspired to launder proceeds of unlawful activity using bank accounts and corporate entities to conceal the source and ownership of funds said to be worth over N8.1 billion.
The commission further alleged that large sums were routed through companies linked to the Malami family, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited and Meethaq Hotels Limited, with transactions carried out through several commercial banks.
The funds were allegedly structured to disguise their origin and avoid regulatory scrutiny. Some of the money was said to have been retained as cash collateral for bank facilities, including about N600 million, which the EFCC claimed the defendants knew or ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The anti-graft agency also accused the defendants of using the funds to acquire high-value properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi states. These properties were allegedly purchased directly or through proxies in an effort to conceal beneficial ownership.
The alleged offences are said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and other re,lated laws.
