The federal high court in Abuja has granted the former Attorney General Of the Federation Abubakar Malaimi, his son Abdulazeez Malami, and Asabe Bashir bail in the sum of 200 million naira each and two sureties in like sum.
One of each sureties is to deposit title deeds of properties in Maitama or Asokoro.
The defendants have, however, been ordered to deposit their international passports with the court.
Justice Joyce Abdumalik, while ruling on the bail application, ordered that the defendants be remanded at the correctional facility pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The economic and financial crimes commission, however, opened its case against the defendants in the 16 count charge of alleged money laundering charges to the tune of about 9 billion Naira.
During proceedings, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik asked the commission to present its first witness.
Counsel to the former AGF Joseph Daudu, SAN, drew the courts attention to their bail application, but the court told him that at the last adjourned date she had ruled that the application for bail and other motions will be taken after the EFCC’s witness has given his evidence in chief.
The EFCC subsequently proceeded to call its first witness, David Ajoma, compliance officer with sterling bank in Abuja, who has worked with the bank for three years.
Ajoma told the court his duty involves handling compliance requests from law enforcement agencies.
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He testified that on December 2, 2025, Sterling Bank received a request from the EFCC seeking details of loan facilities granted to Rayham Hotel Limited.
According to the witness, the bank responded by providing documents including an account opening package, loan account statements, and other supporting records.
Ajoma stated that the loan facility granted to Rayham Hotel Limited was backed by cash collateral from Metropolitan Autotech.
He further explained that Metropolitan Autotech and Rayham Hotel Limited maintain separate accounts with Sterling Bank.
The witness also stated that the signatory to the Metropolitan Autotech account is one Hassan Aliyu.
During Cross-Examination, the witness admitted he was not the relationship manager for Rayham Hotel Limited or Metropolitan Autotech accounts, noting that he was not privy to the details or purposes of inflows into the accounts.
He confirmed that the name of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami did not appear on the loan application documents, as the only name appearing on the application, according to him, was Abdulaziz Malami, who signed as Managing Director of Rayham Hotel Limited.
Ajoma also confirmed that no transaction originated from any government account, the Ministry of Justice, or from Abubakar Malami personally, stating that from the documents before the court, he could not identify any suspicious transaction.
The witness also added that no transaction was found to be in breach of Central Bank of Nigeria regulations.
After listening to the submission of the parties in the matter, the trial judge adjourned the case to March 16, 2026, for trial to continue.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
