Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, son of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (SAN), Abubakar Malami, who was remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre alongside his father and the latter’s fourth wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, has been rushed to the prison clinic.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Abdulaziz was admitted for observation after he suddenly fell ill on Tuesday.
“Malami’s son suddenly fell sick and was rushed to Kuje clinic to stay there for observation,” a prison source told SaharaReporters.
Earlier on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Malami alongside his fourth wife, Asabe, and his son, Abdulaziz, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
The defendants face a 16-count charge of conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecuting counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, stated that the arraignment was to enable the defendants take their pleas. Defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection. All three defendants pleaded not guilty.
According to court filings obtained by SaharaReporters, the EFCC alleges that Malami used fronts and corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd and Meethaq Hotels Ltd, to launder public funds while in office.
One of the charges claims Malami and his son procured over N1,014,848,500 through Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd between July 2022 and June 2025 to conceal the origin of funds in a Sterling Bank account.
Another alleges that Malami used N600,000,000 as collateral to secure a loan for Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, despite allegedly knowing the money was suspicious.
Multiple counts accuse the defendants of using properties company and Bureau De Change operators to disguise payments for high-end properties in Maitama, Jabi, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Kano, including: N500 million luxury duplex, Amazon Street, Maitama; N700 million property, Onitsha Crescent, Garki; N850 million Meethaq Hotels, Jabi; N430 million Rhine Street property, Maitama; N537 million properties in Abuja, Kano and Birnin Kebbi.
Two of the properties were described as “Hamonia Hotels Ltd, Area 11 Garki” and Meethaq Hotels on Rhine Street in Maitama.
In documents tendered to the court as Proof of Evidence, the anti-graft agency listed witnesses including investigators, Bureau De Change operators and bankers.
The EFCC says its officials, Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya and Sani Lukeman, will testify about how petitions and intelligence reports triggered the probe into “monumental corruption” allegedly linked to the former minister.
A witness, Hassan Aliyu, reportedly claims his company’s account was used for suspicious multi-million-naira transactions without his full knowledge.
Despite the weight of the accusations, Malami and his co-defendants insist they are innocent. They entered a not guilty plea, forcing the case into full trial.
