The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation, and his son, Abdulaziz, over alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms.
Malami and Abdulaziz were arraigned on Tuesday at the federal high court in Abuja on a five-count charge.
The secret police accused Malami of allegedly refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were brought to the office of AGF for prosecution. The DSS alleged that Malami and his son were planning to commit terrorism by being in possession of Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm and live rounds of cartridges at their residence in Kebbi state.
“That you, Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, Adult, male, sometime in November, 2022 at Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly abet terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose casefiles were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the charge sheet reads.
“Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II, Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your res:dence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did engage in a conduct in preparation to commit act of terrorism by having in your possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, Sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of Cartridges and Twenty-Seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Malami and his son pleaded not guilty to the charges. After the defendants took their plea, Calistus Eze, DSS counsel, asked the court to remand Malami and his son in the custody of the secret police.
The DSS counsel prayed that the court fix a date for the commencement of trial.
However, Shuaibu Aruwan, counsel to the defendants, moved the oral bail application of the defendants, citing that his clients have been in custody for over two weeks. But the oral bail application was rejected by Joyce Abdulmalik, the trial judge, who asked that a bail application should be filed. She ordered the remand of the defendants at DSS custody and adjourned the case to February 20.
On January 19, DSS operatives arrested Malami at the front of Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja after he perfected the bail conditions in charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency had arraigned Malami, his son and wife, over allegations bordering on money laundering to the tune of N8,713, 923, 759.49. In the 16-count charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired to launder proceeds of unlawful activity between 2015 and 2025, using bank accounts and corporate entities to conceal the source and ownership of the fund worth over N8.1 billion.