The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, continued on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, as a prosecution witness revealed that Malami’s bankers filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) over activities linked to his accounts.
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, told the court that the bank flagged several transactions in Malami’s accounts as suspicious due to their repetitive nature.
Bata explained that although the deposits complied with guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the bank was mandated to report the transactions to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) through an STR process.
The witness stated that suspicious or repetitive financial transactions are routinely reported to the NFIU, which is responsible for analysing and sharing financial intelligence. He, however, clarified that his role at the bank involved handling requests from law enforcement agencies and not directly managing Malami’s bank accounts.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Malami, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, on a 16 count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and concealment of funds amounting to N8.7 billion, allegedly in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During cross-examination, Bata maintained his testimony despite objections from the defence team. Justice Abdulmalik permitted further clarification, stressing the importance of transparency on technical financial matters.
Following the witness’s testimony, the court adjourned the case until May 22, 2026, for continuation of trial proceedings.
