By Nkechi Eze
A prosecution witness in the trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, that Zenith Bank Plc flagged and escalated certain transactions on his account by filing Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs).
The witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, made the disclosure while being cross-examined in the ongoing trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering involving ₦8,713,923,759.49.
The EFCC is prosecuting Malami alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to an official signed statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, the witness confirmed under cross-examination by defence counsel, Adebayo Adedeji, SAN, that although the account transactions complied with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines, the bank nevertheless filed Suspicious Transaction Reports.
He was quoted as saying, “but we had to file Suspicious Transaction Report. We did file.”
During re-examination, prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, sought clarification from the witness on the meaning and application of a Suspicious Transaction Report, a move opposed by the defence on the grounds that the testimony was already clear and required no further explanation.
However, citing Section 215(3) of the Evidence Act, Okutepa urged the court to allow the clarification, arguing that re-examination was necessary for proper elucidation of the witness’s evidence.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik overruled the objection and permitted the witness to respond.
Explaining the concept, Bata stated that unusual or repetitive deposit patterns are typically escalated to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), describing it as the central agency responsible for analysing and disseminating financial intelligence to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
He further noted that his role as a compliance officer involved receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies, adding that he was neither the account officer nor the relationship manager for the accounts under investigation.
Following the conclusion of his testimony and the absence of further questions from counsel, the witness was discharged by the court.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until May 22, 2026, for continuation of trial proceedings.
