Archive December 30, 2025

Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former minister of justice and attorney general of the Federation, will be arraigned on Tuesday in Abuja before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Emeka Nwite and Malami are scheduled to enter pleas at the Federal High Court, according to information.

Chief J. S. Okutepa, SAN, is expected to lead the prosecution team.

The EFCC has charged Malami, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe, with 16 counts in accordance with the charge sheet obtained by Channels Television.

The charges include large-scale money laundering and the unauthorized purchase of properties worth more than N8.7 billion.

The defendants are accused of conspiring to conceal, conceal, and keep money from illegal activities under the charge FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025.

The indictment claims that they indirectly obtained the illicit funds through a number of bank accounts, corporate entities, and significant real estate transactions over the course of nearly ten years.

According to the charge sheet, Malami’s tenure as the nation’s attorney-general allegedly occurred between 2015 and 2025, primarily in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory.

Malami and his son were allegedly using Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal N1.014 billion between July 2022 and June 2025, according to the EFCC. Additionally, they are accused of putting in an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.

The defendants are accused of holding N600 million in cash as collateral for a N500 million loan from Sterling Bank Plc, with the EFCC claiming that they knew the funds were illegal proceeds.

The defendants indirectly controlled N1.3 billion through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Ltd., which the EFCC claims was obtained through illegal means, according to the commission in another charge.

The alleged acquisition of high-end properties in Abuja and other locations with the intention of concealing the funds’ origin and true ownership is one of the allegations.

A luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, was purchased for N500 million, a Garki property for N700 million, and another in Jabi District for N850 million. Additional acquisitions include the acquisitions of Efab Estate, Gwarimpa, and Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million), Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million), respectively.

Additionally, the EFCC claims that between 2018 and 2023, Malami purchased multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi for unrestricted amounts of N952 million. To conceal ownership, these acquisitions allegedly occurred through corporate proxies and other entities.

Hajia Bashir Asabe, who is alleged to have worked for Rahamaniya Properties Ltd., is said to have played a significant role in facilitating these property deals and concealing ownership on Malami’s behalf.

The commission contends that the alleged actions violate the terms of both the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.

According to media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, public emotional breakdowns involving well-known personalities reflect a deeper and more pervasive mental health crisis in Nigeria.

He urged the millions of people who are still suffering from silence to be aware of how these incidents are handled.

Jideonwo, who spoke on the Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Wednesday, claimed that Nigeria’s numerous structural and political issues have made it difficult to minimize personal trauma as though emotional suffering pales in comparison to “bigger national issues”.

There is a perception that personal trauma is minor, like we have bigger issues to deal with because our nation has so many big issues. He urged people to “take this seriously.”

According to him, recent public incidents involving online celebrities and creatives have revealed how much emotional and mental strain Nigerians endure each day.

“I believe there have been incidents like the ongoing issues with LazyWrita and Peller,” the author said. The news surrounding Tontoh Dikeh kind of demonstrates how vulnerable people are to intense mental pressure, according to Jideonwo.

He argued that the situation affects both public figures and private citizens who lack access to adequate support.

People in our country are under a lot of emotional strain. People in our country are unable to access the assistance they require. People in our country, whether they are in public or private, are experiencing suffering in their hearts and minds,” he continued.

Jideonwo argued that when emotional struggles enter public space, they should be treated as a warning rather than as a sneer or sensationalized.

He said, “When we see it bleed into the public space, it should serve as a reminder of how serious the mental health crisis is.” There are thousands of private bleeds, according to the statement “if a known person bleeds in public emotionally.”

He warned that society’s response to well-known cases sends a message to those who are quietly struggling to decide whether to accept or reject their suffering.

He said that how we handle public events teaches private individuals that their own struggles with mental health should be taken seriously.

Anda Damisa, a well-known writer and creative influencer in Nigeria, passed away after his comments were made.

Damisa, who is alleged to have committed suicide, gained a following through thoughtful social media storytelling and poetry.