The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, continued at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, with fresh testimonies from prosecution witnesses detailing financial transactions linked to the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and concealment of proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8.7 billion, under the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Key Witness Testimonies
At the resumed hearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa (SAN), presented:
Daniel Simon Kwayil (Union Bank compliance officer) as Prosecution Witness Two (PW2)
Olomotane Egoro (Access Bank compliance officer) as Prosecution Witness Three (PW3)
Kwayil told the court that his bank received a request from the EFCC in 2025 seeking documents related to Meethaq Hotels Limited, including:
Account opening documents
Certificate of compliance
Statement of account
After cross-examination, he was discharged.
Egoro, on his part, testified that Access Bank received EFCC requests for documents linked to: Rayhaan Bustan and Agro Allied Nigeria Limited
Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative
He confirmed that the documents provided included:
Account opening records
Loan offer letters
Memoranda of acceptance
Statements of account
The requests, he noted, were dated February 6 and 9, 2026.
Courtroom Objection and Cross-Examination
During proceedings, defence counsel Daudu (SAN) objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that: He had not seen the witness’s prior statement. He needed clarification on whether the witness was testifying under subpoenaUnder cross-examination, Egoro clarified:
He was invited through his bank by the EFCC, not via subpoena
He is not an EFCC staff member
He had no knowledge of the purpose of the transactions reflected in the accounts
Adjournment
Following the testimonies and with no re-examination from the prosecution, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to April 20, 2026, for continuation of trial.
