Compliance officers from two commercial banks on Monday testified in the ongoing alleged N8.7 billion fraud 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.
The officials appeared as prosecution witnesses for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where they tendered bank documents and account statements linked to companies and organisations associated with the defendants.
The EFCC is prosecuting the trio on an amended 16-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to N8,713,923,759.49.
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At Monday’s hearing, prosecution counsel J. S. Okutepa called Daniel Simon Kwayil, a compliance officer with Union Bank of Nigeria, as the first witness.
Kwayil told the court that the bank received a letter from the EFCC in 2025 requesting documents relating to Meethaq Hotels Limited. The request covered the company’s account opening package, certificate of compliance, forwarding letter and statement of account.
He identified the documents in court, stating that the letter was dated December 23, 2025, and issued on Union Bank letterhead.
Although defence counsel J. B. Daudu reserved the right to object, Justice Abdulmalik admitted the documents in evidence and marked them as Exhibit B series.
Kwayil further told the court that the statement of account revealed several transfers from Meethaq Hotels Limited to Malami. These included an instant transfer of N14 million on February 5, 2024, and another transfer of N24 million on March 4, 2024.
He also cited additional transfers of N24 million and N12.5 million in favour of A.A. Malami.
According to the witness, the sole signatory to the Meethaq Hotels Limited account was Asabe Rakiya Bashir, Malami’s wife. The statement of account covering pages 34 to 41 showed multiple inflows and outflows running into millions of naira.
During cross-examination, Daudu asked the witness about his role in the bank. Kwayil stated that 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 confirmed that he met Malami’s wife at the Maitama branch where the account was opened but could not recall the exact date. Asked whether the transactions were commercial in nature, the witness said he could not determine their purpose.
“I don’t know because I’m not a party and I don’t know the purpose of the transaction,” he told the court.
The witness was subsequently discharged.
The prosecution then called another compliance officer, Olomotane Egoro, who testified on documents relating to accounts linked to Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited and the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative.
Egoro told the court that his bank received a request from the EFCC in 2025 for documents, including forwarding letters, certificates of identification, account opening documents, a loan offer letter, a memorandum of acceptance and statements of account.
When the prosecution sought to tender the documents, Daudu objected, saying he had not seen the witness’s statement and needed to confirm whether the testimony was based on a subpoena.
Okutepa, however, pointed out that the witness’s bank was listed among those expected to testify in the case.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik held that since the bank was listed among the prosecution witnesses, the defence could cross-examine the witness and request time to review his testimony if necessary. Daudu subsequently reserved his objection.
Egoro later narrated the transactions on the accounts.
He told the court that the total lodgement into the Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative account between October 17, 2019, and December 31, 2023, was N722,986,603.75.
He also said that lodgements into the Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited account between March 26, 2020, and January 31, 2025, amounted to N1,857,978,100.
Under cross-examination, Egoro stated that he appeared in court following an invitation from the EFCC through his bank and not through a subpoena. He also said he did not know the purpose of the payments reflected in the account statements.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until April 20, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
The trial comes amid an ongoing investigation into Malami over alleged offences including money laundering and abuse of office.
In a recent statement, Malami’s office accused the EFCC of “brazen, contemptuous and lawless conduct” in handling matters concerning him and alleged that raids on his offices and residences in Abuja and Kebbi were retaliatory.
Malami had also called for the recusal of EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede, citing alleged bias linked to the report of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
The EFCC has denied the allegations, maintaining that its actions are lawful and not politically motivated.
