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By Oscar Okhifo
The Office of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused security agencies of deliberately frustrating his constitutional right to fair hearing following his arrest and detention in connection with an ongoing case involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, the office expressed grave concern over what it described as coordinated actions by state agencies aimed at obstructing Malami’s legal defence.
According to the statement, after the EFCC filed charges against Malami, the Federal High Court granted him bail.
However, the commission allegedly delayed submitting his international passports to the court for about one week, despite the passports being a key condition for the perfection of his bail.
The delay, the statement said, unnecessarily prolonged his detention and impeded the execution of a valid court order.
The office further alleged that immediately after Malami perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Custodial Centre, he was rearrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). He was reportedly detained for five days without access to his lawyers or family members and only met his legal team after what the statement described as prolonged isolation and repeated delays.
The statement noted that the DSS detention coincided with a critical stage in an EFCC-initiated interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court, during which Malami was expected to prepare and open his defence. Denying him access to counsel at such a time, the office said, directly impaired his ability to consult, prepare court filings, and issue legal instructions, amounting to a violation of his fundamental rights.
Describing the development as deeply troubling, the office accused security agencies of adopting a pattern in which arrest precedes investigation, with evidence allegedly sought after detention, a practice it said contravenes the rule of law and constitutional safeguards.
“The Office stresses that bail granted by a court must have meaning,” the statement read, warning that no agency should be allowed to undermine judicial orders through delays, rearrests, or denial of access to legal representation.
The statement added that Malami remains prepared to defend himself fully in court in accordance with the law and called on all state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees, and the rule of law.