COURT ADMITS ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE AGAINST EX-AGF MALAMI, SON, AND WIFE

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Monday admitted nine exhibits against former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, as well as his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.

The documents were tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of the defendants.

The anti-graft agency is prosecuting them on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, concealment, disguising, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to N8,713,923,759.49, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The exhibits were presented through the fourth prosecution witness (PW4), a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, Maitama branch, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, during his testimony led by prosecution counsel Jibrin Okutepa, SAN.

The witness told the court that, in the course of his duties, he received EFCC correspondence requesting documentation on several accounts linked to the defendants and associated companies.

He explained that his role as a compliance officer involves receiving and responding to requests from law enforcement agencies.

He further stated that the bank complied by supplying both soft and hard copies of records relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and firms including Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

The witness confirmed that the documents, nine in total, could be identified if presented in court.

Following an application by the prosecution, the court admitted the documents dated between July 19, 2024, and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection from defence counsel Joseph Daudu, SAN, who questioned the dates.

Under further examination by prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the witness gave details of transactions contained in the exhibits.

He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening forms and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including both naira and dollar accounts.

According to him, one of the account statements covered the period from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2023, showing active transactions between 2015 and 2023.

He noted that total credits into one account stood at N383,637,211.55 between January 2016 and December 2023, while credits from 2012 to 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.

On the debit side, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.

He further detailed several transactions, including N194,791,608.00 received on November 11, 2020, from New Horizons Limited; N622,500,000.00 received on June 24, 2022, from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited; and two inflows of N250 million each on July 1 and July 7, 2022, from Rayhaan Hotels Limited. He also mentioned a N500 million inflow on December 22, 2022, linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

The witness added that numerous other transactions running into billions were captured in the records.

Following his testimony, defence counsel Joseph Daudu, SAN, requested an adjournment to review the exhibits ahead of cross-examination.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for the cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness.