Court Admits Fresh Exhibits In EFCC Case Against Ex-AGF Malami
By Wellington Jopelo
A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja has admitted additional documentary exhibits in the ongoing money laundering trial involving former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, his wife, and his son.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted nine new exhibits presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during Monday’s proceedings.
The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, concealment, and laundering of alleged unlawful proceeds amounting to about N8.7 billion.
The documents were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, who testified about account records linked to the defendants and associated companies.
The witness explained that he received official correspondence from the EFCC requesting banking details of several accounts under investigation.
He said his role required him to respond to law enforcement agencies by providing both soft and hard copies of requested financial records.
According to him, the bank complied by releasing documents relating to accounts connected to firms allegedly linked to the defendants.
These companies include Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.
The witness confirmed that he could identify the documents when presented in court, which were later admitted as Exhibits D1 to D9.
The defence team initially objected to the admission of the documents, questioning the dates and relevance of some materials.
However, the court overruled the objection and admitted the exhibits covering transactions between 2012 and 2023.
During further testimony, the witness gave a breakdown of account activities, including both credit and debit transactions running into hundreds of millions of naira.
He told the court that several inflows were linked to corporate entities, with some transactions involving large sums transferred into the accounts under review.
Specific transactions mentioned included multiple transfers from companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited and Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.
The witness also noted that the accounts remained active over several years, with continuous inflows and outflows recorded during the period under investigation.
Following the testimony, defence counsel requested an adjournment to study the newly admitted exhibits in preparation for cross-examination.
Justice Abdulmalik granted the request and adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial and cross-examination of the witness.