Operatives of the Department of State Services have detained a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over allegations bordering on terrorism financing.
Malami was arrested on Monday in Abuja, shortly after he completed his bail conditions and was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre, where he had been held in connection with an ongoing case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Security sources disclosed that the DSS action followed intelligence reports and petitions alleging terrorism financing, as well as the discovery of arms and ammunition at Malami’s residence in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
It was gathered that the weapons were uncovered during a search of the former minister’s home by the EFCC as part of its investigation into alleged financial crimes. However, because the illegal possession of firearms does not fall within the statutory mandate of the anti-graft agency, the matter was formally handed over to the DSS for further investigation.
Malami is currently facing a 16-count charge before a court over alleged money laundering involving more than N8 billion. The charges are said to implicate him, his wife, Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, over the alleged use of several companies to acquire multiple properties across different states of the federation.
Confirming the development, a security source said the former Attorney General was taken into custody following multiple petitions submitted against him.
“Yes, it is true that DSS operatives arrested Abubakar Malami, SAN. There are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing,” the source said.
The source added that allegations of terrorism financing are treated with utmost seriousness by security agencies worldwide.
“Terrorism and terrorism financing are serious offences globally. You will recall that when Abubakar Malami, SAN, served as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he repeatedly stated that the government would not shield any individual linked to terrorism or its financing,” the source said.
According to the source, no responsible government would ignore such grave allegations regardless of the status of the person involved.
“No responsible government would fold its hands or turn a blind eye to weighty allegations of terrorism financing levelled against any individual, no matter how highly placed. In this case, Malami, SAN,” the source stated.
The source further explained that the transfer of the case from the EFCC to the DSS followed established inter-agency procedures.
“In the course of investigations, there is what is known as inter-agency cooperation. It is not unusual for one security agency to hand over a suspect to another sister agency. In Nigeria, the DSS is the security agency statutorily empowered to investigate allegations of terrorism and terrorism financing. It is best to allow them to do their job,” the source added.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Malami nor his legal team had issued an official response to the allegations. The DSS also declined to make a formal statement, but investigations are said to be ongoing.
