The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, continued on Monday before Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with prosecution witnesses detailing bank transactions allegedly linked to the defendants.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procurement, concealment and laundering of proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the resumed hearing on March 16, 2026, prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, presented Daniel Simon Kwayil, a compliance officer with Union Bank of Nigeria, as Prosecution Witness Two (PW2).
Kwayil told the court that the bank received a request from the EFCC in 2025 seeking documents relating to Meethaq Hotels Limited, including the company’s account opening package, certificate of compliance and statement of account for account number 0179011105.
The witness confirmed the documents and stated that they were forwarded to the anti-graft agency through a letter dated December 23, 2025. The court subsequently admitted the documents in evidence and marked them as Exhibit B series after the defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no immediate objection.
While reviewing the statement of account, the witness told the court that on February 5, 2024, a payment of ₦14 million was made by instant transfer to Abubakar Malami on the instruction of Meethaq Hotels Limited. He further stated that another transfer of ₦24 million was made in favour of Malami on March 4, 2024.
According to him, the account also recorded a transfer of ₦24 million to A.A. Malami and Co on February 3, 2024, as well as a further transfer of ₦12.5 million to A.A. Malami on May 3, 2024.
Kwayil identified Asabe Rakiya Bashir, the second defendant, as the sole signatory to the Meethaq Hotels Limited account. He told the court that her identification documents appeared in the account opening records and that the board resolution authorised her as the sole signatory.
The witness also reviewed several inflows into the company’s account between November 2022 and April 2023, including multiple deposits from YMB Energy Limited and other transactions reflected in the account statement.
Under cross-examination, Kwayil said he joined Union Bank in August 2014 and was not the relationship manager for the account but had supervisory responsibilities covering Abuja, Niger and Nasarawa states. He also told the court that he was not aware of the purpose of the transactions.
Following his testimony, the prosecution called Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, as Prosecution Witness Three (PW3).
Egoro informed the court that his bank received a request from the EFCC in 2025 for documents relating to Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative.
The documents, which included account opening records, loan offer letters and statements of account, were admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibits C1 and C2 after the court overruled an objection by the defence.
Testifying on the Rayhaan Bustan account, Egoro said Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami was the sole signatory. He added that the company received a ₦400 million loan facility disbursed on October 9, 2020, which was fully repaid on July 14, 2022.
He further stated that on November 10, 2020, several transfers were made from the account to New Horizon Limited, including ₦100 million, ₦10.57 million and multiple transfers of ₦20 million each.
Regarding the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative account, the witness said the signatories included Abdulkadir Malami, Usman Gotomo Abubakar and Faruku Abubakar. He outlined a series of deposits into the account by various individuals and companies between October 2019 and March 2020.
Egoro told the court that the total lodgment into the Khadimiyya account between October 17, 2019 and December 31, 2023 amounted to ₦722,986,603.75, while the Rayhaan Bustan account recorded total inflows of ₦1,857,978,100 between March 26, 2020 and January 31, 2025.
Under cross-examination, the witness stated that he was invited to testify by the EFCC through his bank and was not aware of the specific purpose of the transactions contained in the account statements.
With no re-examination from the prosecution, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until April 20, 2026, for continuation of trial.
