March 16, (THEWILL) — The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, continued on Monday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with a prosecution witness telling the court that Malami’s wife was the sole signatory to the account of a company linked to transactions under investigation.
The defendants are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At Monday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, SAN, presented a compliance officer with Union Bank of Nigeria, Daniel Simon Kwayil, 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 its account-opening documents, certificate of compliance, and statement of account for account number 0179011105.
According to the witness, the bank’s response was contained in a letter dated December 23, 2025, issued on Union Bank letterhead.
When the prosecution sought to tender the documents in evidence, defence counsel, J. B. Daudu, SAN, said he had no objection at the moment but reserved the right to challenge them later.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently admitted the documents and marked them as Exhibit B series.
While referring to the statement of account, the witness told the court that on February 5, 2024, the account recorded the transfer of ₦14 million by instant transfer to Abubakar Malami on the instruction of Meethaq Hotels Limited. He further testified that another ₦24 million was transferred to Malami on March 4, 2024, while ₦24 million was transferred to A.A. Malami and Co on February 3, 2024, also on the order of the company.
Kwayil added that the statement of account also showed a transfer of ₦12.5 million in favour of A.A. Malami on May 3, 2024.
When asked about the ownership of the account, the witness told the court that Asabe Rakiya Bashir, the second defendant, was the sole signatory to the Meethaq Hotels Limited account. He identified Bashir in the dock and stated that her identification card appears on pages 11 and 12 of the account opening documents.
The witness further explained that the board resolution attached to the account opening package confirmed Bashir as the sole signatory to the account.
Kwayil also testified that the statement of account spanning pages 34 to 41 reflected numerous inflows and outflows between 2022 and 2025.
Among the inflows he highlighted were deposits of ₦1,745,242.73 and ₦21,202,209.36 on November 3, 2022, as well as ₦685,200 and ₦685,400 on November 8, 2022. He added that the account also received ₦1,047,019.55 on November 18, 2022, and two separate deposits of ₦10 million each from YMB Energy Limited on November 28, 2022.
Further inflows included ₦4,565,320.58 on December 2, 2022, ₦4,828,880.56 on December 5, 2022, and ₦183,686.44 on December 20, 2022, according to the witness.
Kwayil told the court that the account also recorded deposits of ₦43,177,453.94 and ₦4,650,781.50 on January 10, 2023, ₦915,540.84 on January 17, 2023, and ₦25,483,054.24 on February 12, 2023.
Under cross-examination, Daudu asked the witness about his role at the bank.
Kwayil said he joined Union Bank in August 2014 and was not the relationship manager for the Meethaq Hotels account, but his office had supervisory responsibilities covering Abuja, Niger and Nasarawa states. He also told the court that he met Bashir at the Maitama branch, where the account was opened, but could not recall the exact date.
When asked if he knew A.A. Malami and Co, the witness confirmed that the firm belonged to the former Attorney-General.
However, when questioned about the nature of the transactions reflected in the account, he said he could not determine whether they were commercial transactions because he was not a party to them.
Following the discharge of the witness, the prosecution called another compliance officer, Olomotane Egoro of Access Bank, as Prosecution Witness Three (PW3).
Egoro told the court that in 2025, his bank received a request from the EFCC for documents relating to Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative, including account opening forms, loan documents and statements of account.
He said the bank responded through correspondence dated February 6 and February 9, 2026.
When the prosecution sought to tender the documents, the defence objected, arguing that it had not seen the witness’ statement and needed to confirm whether he was testifying under subpoena.
However, Okutepa drew the court’s attention to the list of witnesses attached to the charge, which included representatives from several banks.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that since Access Bank was listed among institutions expected to testify, the defence could cross-examine the witness and request time to review his testimony.
The court subsequently admitted the documents as Exhibits C1 and C2.
Testifying on Exhibit C1, Egoro said Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited had Abdulaziz Malami as its sole signatory, as reflected in the loan documentation.
He told the court that the company obtained a ₦400 million loan facility from the bank, which was disbursed on October 9, 2020, and fully repaid on July 14, 2022.
According to him, the loan amount was credited to the account on the day of disbursement, while ₦4 million was deducted as a management fee and ₦300,000 as value-added tax.
Egoro further testified that on November 10, 2020, the account made several transfers to New Horizon Limited, including ₦100 million, ₦10,575,360, and five separate transfers of ₦20 million each. He also told the court that a debit of ₦1,185,792.35 was recorded as interest liquidation on the same day.
On Exhibit C2 relating to Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative, the witness said the signatories to the account were Abdulkadir Malami, Usman Gotomo Abubakar, and Faruku Abubakar. He told the court that the first inflow into the account occurred on October 17, 2019, when ₦500,000 was paid by Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, followed by another ₦500,000 from the same person on October 23, 2019.
The witness said additional deposits were later made by several individuals and companies, including Afuwa Services Limited, Moriks Global Enterprise, and A.A. Funtua FX Limited.
According to him, the total lodgement into the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative account between October 17, 2019, and December 31, 2023, stood at ₦722,986,603.75. He added that Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Limited recorded total inflows of ₦1,857,978,100 between March 26, 2020, and January 31, 2025.
Under cross-examination, Egoro said he was invited to testify by the EFCC through his bank and not through a subpoena, adding that he was not aware of the purpose of the payments reflected in the statements.
With no re-examination by the prosecution, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to April 20, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
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