Two witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have testified in the ongoing trial of Abubakar Malami, his wife Asabe Bashir, and their son Abdulaziz Malami at the federal high court in Abuja.
Malami, a former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, and the other defendants are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering brought against them by the EFCC. They have pleaded not guilty.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the prosecution called two witnesses, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Led in evidence by Jibrin Okutepa, counsel to the EFCC, Simon Daniel Kwayil, a compliance officer with Union Bank of Nigeria, told the court that in December 2025 the bank received a letter from the EFCC requesting documents, statements of account and a certificate of compliance relating to account number 0179011105 belonging to Meethaq Hotels Limited.
The documents were tendered and admitted as exhibits.
Kwayil said the sole signatory to the account was the second defendant — Malami’s wife — based on a board resolution of Meethaq Hotels Limited.
He told the court that about N48 million was electronically transferred from the company’s account to accounts linked to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co. between February 2 and April 3, 2024.
NAIJAONPOINT added that the hotel’s bank statement showed millions of naira moving in and out of the account, including more than N99 million received between December 5, 2022, and April 14, 2023.
During cross-examination by Joseph Daudu, counsel to the defence, NAIJAONPOINT said no money was transferred into the account from any government agency.
Kwayil also said he did not know the purpose of the transactions.
The second testimony
The prosecution also called Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank.
Egoro told the court that the EFCC requested documents in 2025 relating to Agro Allied Limited and Khadimiya for Justice and Development Initiative, including account opening packages and statements of account.
The prosecution sought to tender the documents as exhibits, but Malami’s counsel objected on the grounds that NAIJAONPOINT was not subpoenaed and had not made an extrajudicial statement to the EFCC.
However, Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, overruled the objection, noting that the prosecution had listed a representative of Access Bank among its witnesses.
The documents were admitted as exhibits C1 and C2.
NAIJAONPOINT told the court that Abdulaziz Malami is the sole signatory to the account of Agro Allied Limited.
He said the company obtained a N400 million loan from Access Bank, which was paid into the account on October 9, 2020.
According to NAIJAONPOINT , N100 million was transferred to New Horizon Ltd in five transactions of N20 million each, while another N100 million was sent the same day to Rayhaan Bustan.
Egoro added that the N400 million loan was fully repaid on July 14, 2022.
Speaking on exhibit C2, NAIJAONPOINT said the account belonged to Khadimiya for Justice and Development Initiative, with Abdulaziz Malami, Usman Abubakar, and Farouk Abubakar listed as signatories.
He said the account recorded N77.986 million in inflows between October 17, 2019, and March 3, 2020, while total lodgements between March 26, 2020, and January 1, 2025, amounted to N1.857 billion.
During cross-examination, Malami’s counsel asked NAIJAONPOINT if he knew the purpose of the transactions.
“I did not know the purposes and objectives of the payments, my lord,” he said.
NAIJAONPOINT also said he did not know the individuals who made payments into the account, but noted that there was no inflow from any government agency.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until April 29 for continuation of trial.