Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was arrested on Monday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), shortly after his release from Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Malami had just completed his bail conditions in connection with a separate case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had charged him with 16 counts of alleged money laundering involving over N8 billion. The charges implicate him, his wife Asabe Bashir, and his son Abdulaziz Malami in the alleged use of companies to acquire multiple properties across Nigeria.
The DSS arrest is reportedly linked to allegations of terrorism financing and the discovery of arms and ammunition at Malami’s country home in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. The EFCC uncovered the firearms during a search of his residence as part of their financial crime probe. Since illegal possession of firearms falls outside the EFCC’s mandate, the matter was referred to the DSS for comprehensive investigation.
A security source confirmed the arrest, stating: “Yes, it is true that DSS operatives arrested Abubakar Malami, SAN. There are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing. Terrorism and terrorism financing are serious offences globally.”
The source noted Malami’s previous role as Attorney General, recalling that he had vowed the government would not shield anyone linked to terrorism. “No responsible government would fold its hands or turn a blind eye to weighty allegations of terrorism financing, no matter how highly placed. In this case, Malami, SAN,” the source added.
The DSS, as Nigeria’s primary agency tasked with investigating terrorism-related offences, is now handling the case, reflecting standard inter-agency cooperation in security matters. “In the course of investigations, it is not uncommon for one security agency to hand over a person under investigation to another sister security agency. The DSS has the responsibility to investigate such allegations, and it’ll be best to allow them do their job,” the source said.
