The trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe and his Son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami continued on Friday, March 6, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, with a prosecution witness narrating how millions of naira flowed from various individuals and companies to service a loan secured by Rayhaan Hotels Limited; a hotel that allegedly belongs to Abubakar Malami.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8,713,923,759.49 (Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Naira, Forty-Nine Kobo), contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was slated for motions and hearing and that the prosecution had two witnesses ready to testify.
The first prosecution witness, David Ajoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, took the witness stand and affirmed his oath before being led in evidence by Okutepa.
Ajoma told the court that on December 22, 2025, his office received correspondence from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission relating to Rayhaan Hotels Limited. According to him, the EFCC requested documents relating to a loan facility, including the account opening package and other financial records connected with Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, which was used as collateral for Rayhaan Hotels Limited.
When shown the request by the prosecution, the witness confirmed that he recognised the document and that the materials before the court were the same documents supplied to the EFCC.
Okutepa subsequently sought to tender the letter addressed to the EFCC Chairman together with bundles of supporting documents as evidence.
Defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, reserved his objection to the admissibility of the documents until the final address stage.
Justice Abdulmalik thereafter admitted the documents in evidence and marked them Exhibit A series.
Okutepa then directed the witness to examine page 159 of Exhibit A series, which the witness said contained an application made by Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami for a N600 million loan facility, using the account of Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited as collateral in February 2021.
When asked when the N600 million fixed deposit backing the facility was created, the witness told the court it was fixed on February 8, 2021.
The prosecution further asked the witness to identify deposits made into the account of Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited.
Reading from the exhibit, Ajoma listed several inflows beginning from September 2020, including:
• September 23, 2020 – N3 million from Alhaji Ibrahim
• September 24, 2020 – N3 million from Alhaji Ibrahim
• September 24, 2020 – N9 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo Enterprises
• September 25, 2020 – N3 million from Yusuf Umar
• September 25, 2020 – N9 million from Salisu Liyau Umar
• September 25, 2020 – N8 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo Enterprises
He further told the court that on September 29, 2020, there was an inflow of N3 million from Yusuf Umar and N5 million from Nafiu Muhammad Abubakar.
On September 30, 2020, the account received N3 million from Alhaji Shehu, N4 million from Nafiu Muhammad Abubakar and N2 million from Abubakar Shuaibu.
Continuing with the transactions on page 145 of the exhibit, the witness said that also on September 30, 2020, there was another N3 million inflow from Abubakar Shuaibu.
On October 2, 2020, the account received:
• N10 million from Liyau Umar Salisu
• N3 million from Bashir Adamu
• N5 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo
• Another N5 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo
On October 5, 2020, there were inflows of:
• N3 million from Mustapha Usman
• N3 million from Brown Tech Integrated Services Limited
• N5 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo Enterprises
• N5 million from Nafiu Muhammad Abubakar
On October 6, 2020, the account recorded:
• N3 million from Mustapha Ado
• N5 million from Salisu Liyau Umar
• N5 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo
Ajoma further testified that on October 9, 2020, the account received:
• N4,570,000 from Abdulsamad Musa
• N4,430,000 from Abdussamad Ibrahim Musa
• N9 million from Ibrahim D.J Kurfi
• N8 million from Nabahani Enterprises
On October 12, 2020, there was an inflow of N3 million from Yusuf Umar.
On October 13, 2020, deposits included:
• N3 million from Yusuf Umar
• N10 million from Albadawee Integrated Farms
• N3 million from Nafiu
• N2 million from Nafiu A. Mohammed
• N5 million from Hussaini Rogo
• N5 million from Hussaini Dauda
• N5 million from Nafiu
• N5 million from Hussaini Dauda
• N10 million
• N1 million from Abubakar Alkasim
• N3 million from Yusuf Umar
• N4 million from Nafiu Abubakar
The witness told the court that on October 15, 2022, there were numerous inflows including:
• N3 million from Yusuf Umar
• N2,150,000 from Hussaini Dauda
• N7,850,000 from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo
• N5 million from Nafiu Muhammad Abubakar (twice)
• N3 million from Liyau Umar Salisu
• N10 million from Liyau Umar Salisu
• N3 million from Aminu Yau
• N3 million from Mustapha Usman
• N5 million from Jajaye Rogo Enterprises
• N5 million from Hussain Enterprises
• N3 million from Mustapha Usman
• N3 million from Aminu Yau
• N5,200,000 from Nafiu Muhammad
• N8 million from Hussaini Jajaye Rogo Enterprises
• N398,400 from Jajaye
• N40,000 from Hussaini Dauda
• N3 million from Yusuf Umar
On October 26, 2020, deposits included:
• N3 million from Mustapha Usman
• N3 million from Abdullahi
• N3 million from Brown Tech
• N1 million from Aminu Yau
The witness also narrated a long list of inflows recorded on December 24, 2020, including deposits from Nafiu Muhammad, Nafiu A. Mohammed, Dauda, Abubakar, Bello Kabiru, Kabiru Yahaya, Hussain, Yunusa Murtala, Aliyu Yusuf, Aminu, Jibreelawa Enterprises, Mustapha Ado, Albadawee Farms, Abubakar Alkasim, Abdulkadir Sani, Multhazm Multi Trade Business, Fuzkha Babaleri Farms and Abdullahi Jibril, among others.
He further told the court that on January 22, 2021, the account received inflows such as N1,816,500, N5 million from Nafiu Muhammad, N10 million from Nasabuwa General Enterprises, N1,183,500 from Nasabuwa General Enterprises, N7 million from Hassan Ali, N5 million from Hussaini Dauda, another N5 million, N7 million from Mohammed Lukman, N9,532,000 from Abubakar and N8,500,000 from Yawale Global Concept.
On page 153, the witness said there were inflows including:
• N9 million from Yusamah Global Concept
• N4,575,360
• N6,392,700 from Danyaro Group
• N5 million from Dauda
• N5 million from Umar Salisu
• N5 million from Dauda Hussaini
• N4 million from Liyam Salisu Umar
• N4,675,000 from Assadeeq Global Concept
The witness told the court that on page 7 of the account statement of Rayhaan Hotels Limited, there was a credit entry of N500 million on March 17, 2021, representing the loan facility granted.
Referring again to page 159 of Exhibit A series, Ajoma confirmed that the document was a loan application submitted by Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, who he said was a director of Rayhaan Hotels Limited, requesting a N500 million farm loan secured with the account of Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited serving as collateral.
Directing the witness to page 155, the prosecution asked him to identify deposits made into the Rayhaan Hotels account.
Ajoma told the court that on January 17, 2024, the account received:
• N19 million from Audu Bashir
• N10 million from Audu Police
• N11 million from JS Poultry Business Ventures
• N50 million from Oboven General Enterprises
He added that on January 18, the account received N41,848,500 from Oboven General Enterprises.
According to him, on October 17, 2024, the account also received N100 million from Nazhaf Limited and another N20 million.
Ajoma told the court that Rayhaan Hotels Limited and Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited maintain separate bank accounts.
He explained that the account opening package for Rayhaan Hotels Limited, found on page 48, showed Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami as the signatory.
He further stated that the account opening package for Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, on page 104, showed Hassan Aliyu Mohammed as the signatory.
During cross-examination, defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN asked the witness how long he had worked with Sterling Bank.
Ajoma replied that he had worked three years in the compliance department and had previously served as a relationship officer at Access Bank, adding that he had eight years of experience in the banking sector.
Asked whether he knew the difference between a relationship officer and a compliance officer, the witness said yes. There’s a difference between a relationship officer and a compliance officer.
Daudu also asked whether the witness noticed any suspicious transactions in Exhibit A series, particularly in the account linked to Rayhaan Hotels.
Ajoma responded that he could not say.
When asked whether he was aware if any Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) had been filed in respect of the account, the witness again replied that he could not say.
As there was no re-examination, the witness was discharged.
The prosecution informed the court that another witness from Union Bank was present but explained that the statement filed was incomplete, making it difficult to proceed immediately.
Defence counsel Daudu then informed the court that he had an application seeking bail for the defendants.
Okutepa did not oppose the application but urged the court to impose conditions ensuring that the defendants would continue to appear for trial.
Daudu urged the court to grant the defendants bail on liberal terms and on self-recognisance, assuring the court that they would present themselves for trial and were not flight risks.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik granted the first, second and third defendants bail in the sum of N200 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
The court also ordered that the sureties must provide developed properties in Asokoro and Maitama as part of the bail conditions.
Additionally, the first, second and third defendants were ordered to submit their international passports.
The sureties are also required to swear an affidavit of means and submit their coloured passport photographs, while all documents must be verified by the registrar of the court.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the court ordered that the defendants be remanded at Kuje and Suleja correctional facilities.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to March 16, 2026, for continuation of trial.
