Malami Laundering Trial Resumes with Bank Witnesses

The trial of former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, his wife Asabe Rakiya Bashir, and their son Abdulaziz Malami on money laundering charges resumed Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where two bank officials testified about transactions in accounts linked to the defendants.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting the trio on an amended 16-count charge alleging conspiracy, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities totaling N8,713,923,759.49. The agency claims the schemes occurred between 2015 and 2025, involving multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and property acquisitions in cities including Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano. Malami served as attorney general and justice minister from November 2015 to May 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The defendants, who pleaded not guilty when arraigned in December 2025 and rearraigned in February, were granted bail of N200 million each in March, with two sureties.

During Monday's hearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, prosecution counsel J.S. Okutepa presented Daniel Simon Kwayil, a compliance officer at Union Bank, as the second prosecution witness....