Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, recently presided over proceedings in the ongoing trial of Abubakar Malami (SAN), former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, his wife Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami. The court session saw the admission of nine crucial exhibits presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge.

The charges against the former minister and his family members border on serious allegations including conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities. The total sum involved in these alleged activities amounts to N8.7 billion, a figure that places the case squarely under the purview of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. These legal provisions are central to the EFCC's prosecution efforts to curb financial crimes and illicit transactions within the country.

The documentary exhibits were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel J. S. Okutepa (SAN), Bata detailed his official duties, which involved receiving correspondence from the EFCC. These requests sought documents relating to various accounts linked to the defendants and a number of associated entities. The bank duly complied with the EFCC's directives, providing both soft and hard copies of the requested documents.

The accounts and entities specified in the EFCC's requests, as disclosed by Bata, included those belonging to the defendants themselves, alongside corporate entities such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited. These documents, crucial to the prosecution's case, were subsequently admitted by the court as Exhibits D1 to D9 upon application by Okutepa. Defence counsel J. B. Daudu (SAN) initially raised an objection regarding the dates of the documents, noting that “the dates are almost all in March,” with the documents dated between July 19, 2024, and March 12, 2026. Despite this, the court proceeded to admit them.

Under further examination by prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness proceeded to provide comprehensive details regarding the transactions contained within the admitted exhibits. Following the arguments presented by all parties involved in the case, Justice Abdulmalik made the decision to adjourn the matter. The trial is now set to continue on May 13, 2026, a date which will mark the next significant step in this high-profile money laundering case.