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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged terrorism financing.
The defendants were docked before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, where they pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge bordering on aiding and abetting terrorism.
According to the charge sheet, “Malami is accused of knowingly aiding terrorism financing during his tenure as Attorney-General by allegedly refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were forwarded to his office for legal action”, the documents stated.
The prosecution alleged that the former AGF’s failure to act amounted to deliberate abetment of terrorism-related activities.
The DSS further accused Malami and his son of engaging in conduct preparatory to committing acts of terrorism.
The charge stated that the defendants were found in possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm without a valid licence.
They were also accused of “unlawful possession of sixteen Redstar AAA 5.20 live cartridges and twenty-seven expended Redstar AAA 5.20 cartridges.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them in court.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter for further proceedings, including the hearing of bail applications.
Malami, who served as Attorney-General of the Federation under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was initially arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of fraud and money laundering.
Malami was one of the longest serving Attorneys-General in Nigeria’s history and played key roles in high-profile corruption prosecutions, constitutional disputes, and asset recovery efforts during his tenure. However, his time in office was also marked by persistent allegations of conflict of interest, questionable asset recoveries, and opaque legal settlements claims he repeatedly denied while in government.
The DSS has in recent months intensified its involvement in high profile corruption cases, signaling a broader push by security and anti-graft agencies to pursue accountability among former top public officials.