The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his wife, Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, resumed on Monday, March 16, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the family on an amended 16-count charge of conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities totaling N8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During proceedings, prosecution counsel J.S. Okutepa (SAN), presented Daniel Simon Kwayil, a compliance officer with Union Bank, as prosecution witness two.
Kwayil testified that the bank received a 2025 letter from the EFCC requesting documents relating to Meethaq Hotels Limited, including account opening papers, a certificate of compliance, and the company’s statement of account.
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Upon verification, Kwayil confirmed the documents’ authenticity, and they were subsequently admitted as Exhibit B series.
The witness detailed multiple transactions from Meethaq Hotels Limited into the accounts of the defendants.
He stated that on February 5, 2024, N14 million was transferred to Abubakar Malami, followed by N24 million on March 4, 2024.
Similarly, N24 million and N12.5 million were transferred to A.A. Malami and Company on February 3 and May 3, 2024, respectively.
Kwayil also confirmed that the sole signatory to the Meethaq Hotels Limited account is Asabe Rakiya Bashir, as evidenced by the account opening documents and board resolution.
Further, the witness outlined significant inflows into the account from November 2022 to January 2023, including deposits ranging from N685,200 to over N43 million, with some funds sourced from YMB Energy Limited.
The account statements, spanning pages 34 to 41, reflected both inflows and outflows linked to the defendants.
