Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The trial of a former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, when a compliance officer of Zenith Bank Plc testified that the bank filed Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) on transactions conducted through the former AGF’s accounts. The witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, made the disclosure while being cross‑examined by defence counsel before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Malami and his family members 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). The charges are contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Under cross‑examination by defence counsel Adebayo Adedeji (SAN), the witness was asked whether all the deposits reflected in the account statements were within the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Bata answered in the affirmative but added a crucial clarification. “But we had to file Suspicious Transaction Report. We did file,” he told the court. The admission confirmed that despite the transactions appearing to conform to CBN limits, the bank’s compliance team detected patterns or characteristics that triggered a formal report to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
During re‑examination, prosecution counsel J.S. Okutepa (SAN) asked the witness to explain the meaning of a Suspicious Transaction Report. The defence objected, arguing that there was no ambiguity in the witness’s testimony to warrant clarification. Okutepa, however, countered that Section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re‑examining the witness and urged the court to allow the question for proper explanation. Justice Abdulmalik overruled the defence and permitted the witness to answer.
In his explanation, the witness stated, “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.” The NFIU, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, is an autonomous unit of the Central Bank of Nigeria and serves as the central agency for analysing and disseminating financial intelligence reports to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. The witness clarified that his schedule of duty as a bank compliance officer “comprises receiving correspondences from law enforcement agencies.” He added that he was neither the account officer nor the relationship manager of the defendant’s accounts under investigation.
Following the conclusion of his testimony and with no further questions from either counsel, the witness was discharged from the witness box. Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter till May 22, 2026, for the continuation of trial. The former AGF and his family members remain on bail pending the outcome of the case.
The EFCC had, in an earlier hearing, presented documents and witnesses linking the former AGF to the alleged laundering of billions of naira through various bank accounts. The commission alleges that the funds, which were proceeds of unlawful activities, were funneled through accounts belonging to the defendants and their proxies. The testimony of the Zenith Bank compliance officer is considered significant because it establishes that the bank’s internal monitoring system had flagged the transactions as suspicious, a step that often precedes formal investigation by anti‑graft agencies.
Legal analysts have noted that Suspicious Transaction Reports are confidential filings made by financial institutions when they observe unusual or potentially illicit financial activity. While such reports do not constitute evidence of guilt, they serve as triggers for deeper investigation. The fact that Zenith Bank filed STRs on Malami’s accounts, despite the deposits falling within CBN limits, suggests that the bank’s compliance team observed patterns—such as frequent large deposits, structuring, or round‑tripping—that deviated from the customer’s known financial profile.
The trial continues before Justice Abdulmalik, with the prosecution expected to call additional witnesses to further establish the money laundering allegations. The defence has maintained that the former AGF and his family are innocent and that the charges are politically motivated. As the case unfolds, the testimony of the Zenith Bank compliance officer is likely to be a key piece of evidence in the EFCC’s bid to secure a conviction.
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