- A compliance officer from Zenith Bank testified on Wednesday that the bank filed Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) regarding accounts linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
- Malami is standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, over an alleged ₦8.7 billion money laundering scheme.
- The witness explained that while deposits appeared to follow standard guidelines, repetitive patterns of funds required escalation to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The corruption trial of former Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami took a significant turn on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, as a prosecution witness revealed how banking safeguards triggered investigations into the ex-minister’s finances.
Eko Hot Blog reports that testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the compliance officer, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, confirmed that Zenith Bank felt compelled to flag the transactions despite them appearing to comply with Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines on the surface.
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The EFCC is currently prosecuting the Malami family on a 16-count charge involving the alleged concealment and laundering of over ₦8.7 billion.
During the proceedings, a brief legal skirmish occurred when the prosecution asked the witness to define the nature of a Suspicious Transaction Report.
Although the defense objected to the line of questioning, the court allowed the explanation.
The witness clarified that any repetitive pattern of fund deposition must be reported to the NFIU, the central body responsible for analyzing financial intelligence related to money laundering.
Bata further clarified that his role was strictly regarding compliance and correspondence with law enforcement, rather than day-to-day account management for the defendants.
This testimony adds weight to the EFCC’s case as they attempt to prove that the billions of naira in question are proceeds of unlawful activities.
The defense maintained that the transactions were within regulatory bounds, but the bank’s decision to “escalate” the patterns suggests deeper scrutiny of the Malami family’s financial footprint during his time in office.
Justice Abdulmalik has adjourned the case until May 22, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, which remains one of the most high-profile anti-corruption cases currently in the Nigerian judicial system.
