On December 24, 2025, reports emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has traced 41 properties allegedly linked to Abubakar Malami, Nigeria's former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice under the late President Muhammadu Buhari. The properties, including hotels, universities, schools, factories, residential buildings, and a printing press, are located in Kebbi, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with an estimated total value of N212.89 billion.
This development follows the filing of a 16-count charge of money laundering against Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe (an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited). The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 23, 2025, accuse the defendants of concealing and laundering funds through bank accounts and property acquisitions between 2015 and 2025, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022 and earlier amendments.
The charges allege specific transactions, including the concealment of over N1 billion in a Sterling Bank account via Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, and the use of illicit funds to acquire luxury properties in high-end districts like Maitama and Asokoro in Abuja. Prosecutors claim the defendants "reasonably ought to have known" the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.
- The asset list, first published by TheCable and corroborated by other outlets, breaks down as follows:
- Kebbi State (valued at approximately N162.2 billion): Includes the expansive Rayhaan University (permanent site: N56 billion; temporary site: N37.8 billion; other sites and facilities), Rayhaan Model Academy and schools (N20 billion combined), agro-allied factories and mills (over N18 billion), Azbir Hotel (N10.3 billion), and multiple residential properties, including homes for Malami and his sons valued in billions.
- Kano State (N16 billion): Features Zeennoor Hotel (N11.2 billion), Rayhaan Hotel and gym, and a wife's residence on Ahmadu Bello Way.
- FCT Abuja (N34.7 billion): Comprises a duplex on Amazon Street in Maitama (linked to specific charges), Meethaq Hotels branches (over N21 billion combined), 42 bungalow units in Efab Estate, and Harmonia Hotels in Garki.
The investigation intensified after EFCC searches on Malami's residences and offices in Abuja and Kebbi on December 17, 2025. Malami was detained earlier in December, granted bail by a court, but the probe continued. He has described the actions as potentially retaliatory, linking them to his prior comments on a judicial report involving EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, though no evidence supports this claim.
Malami served as AGF from 2015 to 2023, overseeing major asset recoveries, including Abacha loot, which has also come under scrutiny in related petitions. The EFCC may seek non-conviction-based forfeiture of the assets, allowing seizure if no legitimate claims are proven.
As of December 24, no arraignment date has been set, and Malami has not publicly responded to the latest charges. The case highlights ongoing efforts to hold high-profile officials accountable post-tenure, amid broader anti-corruption drives.
The allegations remain unproven in court, and Malami is presumed innocent until convicted. The EFCC has not issued a direct public statement on the property list, but multiple independent reports cite internal documents and charge sheets.
