Malami’s Son Taken To Kuje Prison Clinic After Sudden Illness As EFCC Arraigns Family Over N8.7bn Fraud

Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, son of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was on Tuesday rushed to the clinic at the Kuje Correctional Centre after he reportedly fell ill.
Prison sources confirmed that Abdulaziz, who was remanded alongside his father and Malami’s fourth wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, was admitted for medical observation following the sudden development.
“Malami’s son suddenly fell sick and was rushed to the Kuje clinic to stay there for observation,” a source at the facility disclosed.
The incident occurred hours after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the trio before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
The defendants are facing a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to N8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the arraignment, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that the defendants were present to take their pleas. Defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection. All three defendants pleaded not guilty, paving the way for a full trial.
According to court documents, the EFCC alleged that Malami, while in office, used fronts and corporate entities — including Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd and Meethaq Hotels Ltd — to launder public funds.
One of the charges alleges that Malami and his son procured over N1.014 billion through Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd between July 2022 and June 2025 to conceal the source of funds paid into a Sterling Bank account.
Another count accuses Malami of using N600 million suspected to be proceeds of crime as collateral to secure a loan for Rayhaan Hotels Ltd.
The EFCC further alleged that the defendants used property companies and Bureau De Change operators to disguise payments for several high-value properties in Maitama, Jabi, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, Garki, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi, including luxury hotels and duplexes valued at hundreds of millions of naira.
Among the listed properties are a N500 million duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama; a N700 million property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki; N850 million Meethaq Hotels in Jabi; and a N430 million property on Rhine Street, Maitama.
In its proof of evidence, the anti-graft agency listed investigators, bankers, and Bureau De Change operators as witnesses. EFCC officials Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya, and Sani Lukeman are expected to testify on how intelligence reports and petitions triggered what the commission described as a probe into “monumental corruption.”
One of the witnesses reportedly claimed that his company account was used for suspicious multi-million-naira transactions without his full consent.
Despite the allegations, Malami and his co-defendants have maintained their innocence as the court prepares for the commencement of trial.