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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) shortly after leaving the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, following the completion of his bail conditions in an ongoing high-profile case.
A security source disclosed that Malami was taken into DSS custody at the entrance of the correctional facility on Monday, moments after meeting bail terms in his trial alongside his wife and son over alleged money laundering involving approximately ₦8.7 billion.
A video circulating on social media reportedly shows the former AGF requesting that DSS operatives present their identification cards before he was escorted into a service vehicle.
The source revealed that the arrest was based on “several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing,” which prompted the intervention of the DSS.
Malami’s arrest comes amid heightened security presence around the Kuje Correctional Centre, where dozens of DSS operatives were reportedly deployed after a Federal High Court granted him bail earlier this month. Despite fulfilling the bail conditions, his release was delayed amid fresh investigative concerns and intensified surveillance at the facility.
The former minister, his wife Bashir Asabe, and son Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami were granted bail in early January, with each required to post ₦500 million and provide suitable sureties. All three have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that the offences involved the concealment of proceeds of unlawful activities through multiple accounts and entities.
The latest development marks a dramatic twist in the case as it has attracted significant public attention, given Malami’s former role as Nigeria’s chief law officer and the gravity of the allegations linked to his tenure. Further details are expected as investigations by the DSS continue.