The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday opened its case against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), his wife, Mrs. Asabe Bashir, and their son, Mr. Abdulaziz Malami, in an alleged ₦8.7 billion money laundering trial.

The trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, directed the EFCC to call its first witness.

Although Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), who appeared for the defendants, attempted to draw the court’s attention to his clients’ pending bail application, the judge declined the request.

Justice Abdulmalik reminded the lawyer that on the last adjourned date she had made an order on the matter.

She held that the bail application and other motions would be considered after the EFCC’s first prosecution witness (PW-1) had given his evidence-in-chief.

Following the directive, EFCC counsel Mr. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) called the first prosecution witness, Mr. David Ajoma, a banker.

Giving his evidence, Ajoma told the court that he works as a compliance officer with Sterling Bank in Abuja.

He said he had worked with the bank for three years and handles compliance requests from law enforcement agencies.

The witness 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 him, the bank subsequently forwarded the requested documents, including the account opening package, loan account statements, and other supporting records.

Ajoma further told the court that the loan facility granted to Rayham Hotel Limited was backed by cash collateral from Metropolitan Autotech.

He explained that both Metropolitan Autotech and Rayham Hotel Limited maintain separate accounts with Sterling Bank.

He said the signatory to the Metropolitan Autotech account is Mr. Hassan Aliyu.

Under cross-examination by Daudu, Ajoma admitted that he was not the relationship manager for either Rayham Hotel Limited or Metropolitan Autotech accounts and was therefore not privy to the specific details or purposes of inflows into the accounts.

He also confirmed that the name of the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Malami, did not appear on the loan application documents presented to the court.

According to the witness, the only name appearing on the loan application was Mr. Abdulaziz Malami, who signed as the Managing Director of Rayham Hotel Limited.

Ajoma further told the court that none of the transactions reviewed by the bank originated from any government account, the Federal Ministry of Justice, or from Malami personally.

The witness also stated that from the documents before the court he could not identify any suspicious transaction linked to the accounts under review.

He added that no transaction was found to be in breach of regulations issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

After the witness concluded his testimony, Daudu moved the bail application for Malami, his wife, and their son.

Although Okutepa told the court that the commission would not oppose the application, he urged the judge to impose conditions that would guarantee the defendants’ availability for trial.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently granted the bail application following the EFCC’s lack of objection.

She admitted Malami, his wife, and their son to ₦200 million bail each, with two sureties each in like sum.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties must deposit title deeds to a landed property located in Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja, with the registrar of the court.

She also directed the defendants to deposit their international passports with the court.

Justice Abdulmalik held that the trio would be remanded in Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Malami, Asabe, and Abdulaziz are being prosecuted on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of ₦8.7 billion.

NAN also reports that Justice Abdulmalik had, on February 27, admitted Malami and Abdulaziz to ₦200 million bail with two sureties each in like sum in another charge earlier filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.

The case has since been taken over by the office of the current Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).