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Malami Emerges ADC Governorship Candidate in Kebbi Ahead of 2027 Polls

by Editor
written by Editor

By Chibuike Nwabuko

ABUJA (PRECISE POST)  –  Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has been affirmed as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kebbi State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Malami disclosed this in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, in which he expressed appreciation to leaders, stakeholders, and supporters of the party for their confidence and support.
According to the statement, the party also affirmed other candidates for key elective positions in the state. Retired Major General Aminu Bande was named as the ADC senatorial candidate for Kebbi Central, while retired Deputy Comptroller General Ibrahim Muhammad Mera emerged as the party’s candidate for Kebbi North Senatorial District.
Garba Danjuma Limi was equally affirmed as the ADC candidate for Kebbi South Senatorial District.
Malami said the party remained committed to delivering purposeful leadership, good governance, justice, security, and sustainable development for the people of Kebbi State and Nigeria at large.
He urged party members and supporters to remain united and determined in the collective pursuit of a prosperous future for coming generations.

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Opinion

No Tears for El-Rufai and Malami By Farooq A. Kperogi

by Editor
written by Editor

Nasir El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami are suddenly the objects of public pity in some corners of Nigeria’s political commentariat. Yes, my default ideological temperament is to empathize with and fight for the underdog.

But El-Rufai and Malami are no underdogs. They are merely (temporarily) subdued top dogs whose canine viciousness is only momentarily at bay but will recrudesce should they get back in the saddle of power and influence.

Their defenders, some of whom have urged me to intervene on their behalf in line with my record of defending the oppressed, say they are victims of President Bola Ahmed Tibu’s selective justice. I don’t dispute that. Since not even a single manifestly and self-evidently corrupt, Tinubu-supporting APC member is being tried for corruption, it’s entirely reasonable to assume that had El-Rufai and Malami chosen to remain in the APC, they would have been shielded from any legal consequences for their well-documented abuse of power.

Nonetheless, their immediate past history of similar selectivity and invidiousness against opponents and underdogs strips them of consideration for compassion, at least from me. El-Rufai and Malami were no apostles of compassion and due process.

They are now learning, from the wrong end of the stick, what they normalized, defended and inflicted on others when they predominated over the political landscape.

Of course, I don’t expect the folks in the ADC, in whose flock El-Rufai and Malami now fly, to mirror my position. Still, the morally serious response to this moment cannot be to pretend that what is happening to them descended from a moral vacuum.

Even the rhetoric of their defenders is revealing. The ADC has not said El-Rufai and Malami had spotless public records. It has instead said, correctly, that justice should not be selective. Fair enough. But selective justice is precisely the moral and political ecology in which both men flourished luxuriantly just a few years ago. What their defenders demand for them today is what they often denied others yesterday.

Take El-Rufai first. As FCT minister, he earned well-deserved notoriety for cruel, unjust Abuja demolitions and forced evictions on a scale that human rights groups found unacceptably staggering. That is why he is known as “Mai Rusau,” which means the demolisher, among Hausa-phone northern Nigerians. It is similar to his English moniker, “Mr. Demolition.”

On May 15, 2008, for instance, Reuters reported that nearly one million residents had been evicted from their homes in Abuja between 2003 and 2007 as part of the restoration of the city’s so-called master plan. It noted that El-Rufai said he had “no apology” for the demolitions.

You may support urban planning enforcement if you like, but the ruthlessness and human cost of those actions were early glimpses of the governing philosophy that made El-Rufai who he is: power first and only, compassion be damned.

His years as Kaduna governor made the pattern more nakedly political. I have written copiously on this and won’t repeat what I have written. Suffice it to say that he hunted and hounded opponents, including powerless people whose only strength derived from their ability to raise their voices against his tyranny, with a ruthlessness that has no parallel in the history of Kaduna State.

On September 23, 2017, I wrote of “El-Rufai’s Morbid Fixation with Death of His Political Opponents,” among other articles I’ve written of his well-known predilection for unleashing and celebrating murderous violence against people who disagree with him politically, leading me to call him “an intolerant psychopath with homicidal impulses.” That is not the biography of a man whose hands are clean in the politics of intimidation.

Malami’s case is, if anything, even harder to sentimentalize because his most infamous offenses against the rule of law were not hidden in bureaucratic shadows. He defended them openly. On July 26, 2019, TheCable reported him saying he disobeyed some court orders in order to protect “public interest.”

On July 27, 2019, Punch reported that the federal government’s refusal to obey court orders granting bail to Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and Sambo Dasuki were tied to the same twisted Malamian doctrine of “public-interest” judicial selectivity. It is difficult to overstate how corrosive that doctrine was. Once an attorney-general publicly teaches the state that court orders are optional whenever power invokes “public interest,” he licenses impunity from the highest legal office in the land.

In other words, Malami was not some helpless bystander to executive lawlessness. He was one of its clearest doctrinal salesmen.

The same habit persisted into later controversies. On October 13, 2022, Premium Times reported that after the Court of Appeal ordered Nnamdi Kanu’s release, the federal government, on Malami’s watch, said it would not release him.

And on December 6, 2019, Reuters reported that Omoyele Sowore was re-arrested by DSS operatives hours after being freed on bail. Malami said on Dember 17, 2019, that he couldn’t ask the DSS to release Sowore even when the courts said he should. In a delightful twist of fate, Sowore revealed in late February this year that Malami had reached to him and his lawyer “to facilitate his bail from Kuje Prison.”

When people who applauded, excused, or ignored these episodes of lawlessness or selective application of due process that Malami was notorious for ask that he be extended the treatment he denied others, they are simply announcing that procedural abuse is intolerable only when it touches their faction.

This is why the current moral positioning of some defenders of El-Rufai and Malami is so suspect. They are not wrong to insist that prosecutions should be transparent, lawful and non-selective. I endorse that entirely.

But they are wrong to imply that these two men symbolize injured innocence. They do not. They symbolize the instability of factional privilege in a system where the law often trails power like a servant. Their real tragedy is not that they are being treated in ways that are unimaginable in Nigeria. Their tragedy is that they are being treated in ways that are utterly familiar in Nigeria, except that they are no longer on the dispensing end of the familiar cruelty.

There is no denying that Nigerian anti-corruption energy often softens toward the politically useful and hardens toward the politically estranged. That impression is precisely what gives oxygen to the complaints of El-Rufai’s and Malami’s sympathizers. But it still does not make the two men martyrs.

So, yes, El-Rufai and Malami are experiencing the perils of not aligning with the people in power. That is plainly part of the story. But it is not the whole story, and it is certainly not the most morally interesting part of it.

The most morally poignant part is the selective memory of their defenders, who want Nigerians to look at today’s suffering and forget yesterday’s abuses. They want us to respond to current persecution without recalling prior persecution. They want sympathy severed from memory. That is too high a price.

My own view is simple. They deserve due process, because everyone does. But they deserve no canonization, because neither has earned it. And if tomorrow either man returns to the commanding heights of power, nothing in his public record suggests he would become a born-again democrat who suddenly discovers the sanctity of restraint and the merit of tolerance.

Their current misfortune is therefore both political and karmic. It is political because it arises from loss of proximity to power. It is karmic because it is being visited on men who had helped normalize the very abuse whose sting they now feel. So, I will reserve my tears for worthier people.

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NewsPolitics

Malami’s Abuja Residence Raided by DSS After Atiku Visit

by Arabella Zikora
written by Arabella Zikora
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday stormed a house belonging to former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami in Abuja, forcing those present to leave.

Sources said the incident occurred shortly after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar visited the Maitama residence.
He reportedly spent about an hour there before leaving.

An aide to Atiku confirmed the visit, while another witness said DSS officers had already surrounded the house during the meeting but only moved in after Atiku left, People’s Gazette reported.

The situation comes at a time when there is growing pressure on opposition figures like Malami to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Critics have accused President Bola Tinubu of trying to weaken his opponents ahead of the next election, though the president has denied this.

Malami has been facing trial for alleged corruption in recent weeks, a case many observers believe may be politically motivated.

Atiku shared photos from his visit to Malami earlier in the day but did not comment on the raid.

The DSS has not issued a statement regarding the alleged invasion.

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News

DSS Appoints SAN Akinlolu Kehinde to Lead Malami Trial

by Arabella Zikora
written by Arabella Zikora

The Department of State Services (DSS) has engaged Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Akinlolu Kehinde to lead the prosecution of former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, over alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, where the formal trial was to commence, Kehinde, SAN, informed the court that the case was scheduled for a full-blown trial.

He, however, told the court that he had just received instructions from DSS to take over the prosecution of the case and therefore required time to confer with witnesses.

“I got the instruction to take over the prosecution of the case on Monday, and so I need time to interface with the witnesses.

“So I most humbly ask for another date,” he said.

ALSO READ: Alleged terrorism financing: Court adjourns Malami, son’s trial until April 15

Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Shuaibu Arua, SAN, did not oppose the application for adjournment, prompting Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to shift the trial till April 15.

The defendants were present in court when the matter came up before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned Malami and Abdulaziz on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026 and filed before the court in Abuja, Malami was accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were allegedly forwarded to him while he served as AGF and Minister of Justice.

The defendants were also accused of warehousing firearms at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, without lawful authority.

Specifically, the DSS alleged in count one that Malami knowingly abetted terrorism financing by failing to prosecute alleged financiers, contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In counts two to five, Malami and his son were charged with unlawful possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5.20 live cartridges, and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5.20 cartridges.

The offences, according to the prosecuting agency, are contrary to and punishable under relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Firearms Act, 2004.

 

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Alleged terrorism financing: Court adjourns Malami, son’s trial until April 15

by Administrator
written by Administrator

ABUJA – The Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, adjourned the alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms case against former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz, until April 15 and 16.

The defendants were present in court when the matter came up before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.At the proceedings, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who appeared for the prosecution, informed the court that the case was scheduled for hearing.However, Kehinde told the court that he had only received instructions to take over the prosecution of the case on Monday and therefore required time to confer with witnesses.“I got the instruction to take over the prosecution of the case on Monday and so I need time to interface with the witnesses.“I most humbly ask for another date,” he said.Counsel to the defendants, Mr Shuaibu Arua, SAN, did not oppose the application for adjournment.In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik granted the request and adjourned the matter until April 15 and 16 for trial.Reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned Malami and Abdulaziz on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms.In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026 and filed before the court in Abuja, Malami was accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were allegedly forwarded to him while he served as AGF and Minister of Justice.The defendants were also accused of warehousing firearms at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi without lawful authority.Specifically, the DSS alleged in count one that Malami knowingly abetted terrorism financing by failing to prosecute alleged financiers, contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.In counts two to five, Malami and his son were charged with unlawful possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5’20 live cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges.The offences, according to the prosecuting agency are contrary to, and punishable under relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Firearms Act, 2004.The DSS handed over the case to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on March 4, when it was slated for the commencement of a full hearing.(NAN)
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EFCC opens N8.7bn money laundering case against Malami, wife, son

by Content Admin
written by Content Admin

ABUJA- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, opened its case against Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Minister of Justice; his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz, in the alleged money laundering trial to the tune of N8.7 billion.

Trial judge, Justice Justice Joyce Abdulmalik  directed the EFCC to call its first witness,.

Although Joseph Daudu, SAN, who appeared for the defendants, attempted to draw the court’s attention to his clients’ pending bail application, the judge declined the lawyer’s request.

Justice Abdulmalik reminded Daudu that on the last adjourned date, she made an order to the effect.

Justice Abdulmalik held that the bail application and other motions would be taken after the EFCC’s 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) had given his evidence-in-chief.

Following the directive, the EFCC lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, called their (PW-1), David Ajoma, a banker.

Giving his evidence, Ajoma told the court that he works as a compliance officer with Sterling Bank in Abuja.

He said he had worked with the bank for three years and handles compliance requests from law enforcement agencies.

The PW-1 testified that on Dec. 2, 2025, Sterling Bank received a request from the EFCC seeking details of loan facilities granted to Rayham Hotel Limited.

According to him, the bank subsequently forwarded the requested documents, including the account opening package, loan account statements, and other supporting records.

The witness, who was led in evidence-in-chief by Okutepa, further told the court that the loan facility granted to Rayham Hotel Limited was backed by a cash collateral from Metropolitan Autotech.

He explained that both Metropolitan Autotech and Rayham Hotel Limited maintain separate accounts with Sterling Bank.

He said the signatory to the Metropolitan Autotech account is one Hassan Aliyu.

Under cross-examination by Daudu, Ajoma admitted that he was not the relationship manager for either Rayham Hotel Limited or Metropolitan Autotech accounts and was therefore not privy to the specific details or purposes of inflows into the accounts.

He also confirmed that the name of the former AGF, Malami, did not appear on the loan application documents presented to the court.

According to the witness, the only name appearing on the loan application was Abdulaziz Malami, who signed as the Managing Director of Rayham Hotel Limited.

Ajoma further told the court that none of the transactions reviewed by the bank originated from any government account, the Federal Ministry of Justice or from Malami personally.

The witness also stated that from the documents available before the court, he could not identify any suspicious transaction linked to the accounts under review.

He added that no transaction was found to be in breach of regulations issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

After the witness concluded his testimony, Daudu moved the bail application for Malami, his wife and their son.

Although Okutepa told the court that the commission would not be opposing, he urged the judge to impose conditions that would guarantee the defendants’ availability for trial.

Justice Abdulmalik granted the bail application following no objection by the anti-graft agency.

The judge admitted Malami, his wife and son to a N200 million bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

Justice Abdulmalik ordered that one of the sureties shall deposit his or her title deeds of a landed property located at Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja, to the registrar of the court.

The judge, who ordered the defendants to also deposit their international passports with the court, held that the trio would be remanded in Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres pending the perfection of their bail terms.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Malami, Asabe and Abdulaziz are being prosecuted on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8. 7 billion.

NAN reports the Justice Abdulmalik had, on Feb. 27, admitted Malami and Abdulaziz to a N200 million bail with two sureties in like sum in another charge earlier filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.

The case had, since, been taken over by the office of the current AGF, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.(NAN)

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EFCC re-arraigns Malami, wife, son on money laundering charge

by Administrator
written by Administrator

ABUJA – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, re-arraigned Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), his wife, Asabe Bashir and son, Abdulaziz, on money laundering offences.

They were re-arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, following the re-assignment of the case to the new trial judge.

Upon resumed hearing, EFCC’s lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for defendants’ re-arraignment.

“The matter is coming before your lordship this morning for the very first time. I will be applying for the plea of the defendants to be taken,” he said.

Okutepa equally applied that the sums listed in Counts 11 and 12 be corrected to read N325 million instead of N325 billion for Count 11, and N120 million instead of N120 billion for Count 12.

And after it was not opposed by the defence lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, Justice Abdulmalik granted the oral application by Okutepa.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts preferred against them by the anti-graft agency bordering on money laundering.

Reports that a sister judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu had, on Feb. 12, withdrew from the case shortly after the civil case filed by the EFCC was brought to him.

Reports that the case was formerly before Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as vacation judge during the Christmas/New Year break.

After the vacation period, the CJ reassigned the cases to Justice Egwuatu who had now recused himself, before it was re-assigned to Justice Abdulmalik.

The ex-AGF, his wife and son were earlier arraigned before Justice Nwite in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, on Dec. 30, 2025.

While Malami and son were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, Asabe was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre before they were admitted to N500 million bail each, on Jan. 7, with two sureties each in the like sum.(NAN)

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FCT Polls Holiday Delays Malami, Son’s Re-Arraignment Over Terrorism, Illegal Arms

by Arabella Zikora
written by Arabella Zikora

The arraignment, slated for the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, February 20, was abruptly put off when it became clear that workers including those of the court would not be at work.

Operatives of the DSS had taken over security at the court as early as 7: 00 am ahead of the arraignment

However, by 9:00 am when Malami and his son were to be brought before Justice Peter Lifu, information filtered round that the workers would not be on duty.

The development prompted the DSS to shelve bringing the two defendants to the court.

It will be recalled that Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and his son were earlier arraigned before a vacation judge on the same charge.

The vacation judge eventually returned the case file to the Chief Judge, Hon Justice John Tsoho for re-assignment to a regular judge.

Although the matter was re-assigned to Justice Obiora Egwuatu for fresh arraignment, the judge declined to proceed with the matter for personal reasons.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the former AGF and his son would now be arraigned on Monday, February 23, 2026.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami is accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.

Malami and Abdulaziz are equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State without lawful authority.

Malami and Abdulaziz had during their earlier arraignment pleaded not guilty when the counts in the charge sheet were read to them.

Counts in the charge read:

Count 1

That you, Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, Adult, male, sometime in November, 2022 at Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly abet terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose casefiles were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count 2

Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II, Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your res:dence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did engage in a conduct in preparation to commit act of terrorism by having in your possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, Sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5°20 live rounds of Cartridges and Twenty-Seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 .

Count 3

That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

Count 4

That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

Count 5

That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession twenty-seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

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Judge withdraws from EFCC’s cases against Malami, cites personal reasons

by Administrator
written by Administrator

ABUJA – Justice Obiora Egwuatu, on Thursday, recused (withdrew) himself from the two cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Mr Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Justice Egwuatu, who was recently re-assigned the cases by the Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said he decided to withdraw from them for personal reasons and for better interest of justice.

Reports that the two cases include the multi billion naira asset forfeiture case concerning 57 property and the N8.7 billion money laundering charges filed by the EFCC against Malami, his wife, Asabe Bashir and son, Abdulaziz Malami.

The development occured on Thursday shortly after the civil suit for forfeiture of 57 property allegedly linked to Malami was called for mention.

Upon resumed hearing, EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for mention.

The lawyer, however, told the court that the commission received a letter from Joseph Daudu, SAN, who is Malami’s counsel, seeking an adjournment of the case to Monday, Feb. 16.

He said Daudu stated in the letter that he was at the Court of Appeal for another case, hence, the need for the application for an adjournment.

Shortly after Iheanacho addressed the court, Justice Egwuatu, in a brief ruling, announced his recusal from the case.

“Gentlemen, for personal reasons and for better interest of justice, I will recuse myself from this case and in the other sister case,” he said.

The judge said the case files would be remitted back to the chief judge accordingly.

Observes that though Daudu was not in court, lawyers for other respondents/applicants, who had interest in some of the property already placed on temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government, were in court.

While Kalu Kalu Agu, announced appearance for Alhaji Muktaka Usman Junju and Realsmart Tech Nigeria Ltd; D. O. Anyebe represented Real Edge Agro Services Ltd, while M.S. Ishaq appeared for his clients who he did not mention in open court.

Reports that the cases were former before Justice Emeka Nwite, who sat as vacation judge during the Christmas break.

The CJ had re-assigned the two cases to the new judge after the Christmas vacation sitting ended and Justice Obiora fixed Feb. 12 for the civil case and Feb. 16 for the money laundering case.

Justice Nwite, the former trial judge, had, on Jan. 6, ordered the interim forfeiture of the 57 property suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities linked to Malami, to the Federal Government.

The judge made the order following an ex-parte motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, and moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Iheanacho, to the effect.

The judge directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested person(s) to show cause, within 14 days, why all the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The multi-billion naira landed property are located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna States.

But Malami had since challenged the anti-graft agency’s civil suit, praying the court to dismiss same.

In a motion on notice filed on Jan. 27 on Malami’s behalf by a team of lawyers led by Daudu, the ex-AGF alleged that the anti-corruption agency got the interim order by suppression of material facts and misrepresentation.

Malami, who urged the court to dismiss the suit to prevent “conflicting outcomes duplicative litigation,” argued that the proceeding was an assault on his fundamental right to owned property, his presumption of innocence and his right to live in peace with his family.

More applicants had also joined Malami in urging the court to vacate the interim order of forfeiture.

In a related development, the ex-AGF, Asabe and Abdulaziz were, on Dec. 30, 2025, arraigned by the anti-graft agency also before Justice Nwite in the 16-count criminal charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025.

They were arraigned on allegations bordering on money laundering offences to the tune of N8, 713,923, 759.49(Eight billion, seven hundred and thirteen million, nine hundred and twenty three thousand, seven hundred and fifty nine naira, forty nine kobo).

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts.

While Malami and son were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, Asabe was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre before they were admitted to N500 million bail each, on Jan. 7, with two sureties each in the like sum.

Malami and his son were, however, re-arresred by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations bordering on terrorism.

The duo, who are currently being detained by the DSS, were arraigned, on Feb. 3, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a sister court on a five-count terrorism charge.(NAN)

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CJ re-asssigns money laundering, forfeiture cases against Malami to another judge

by Administrator
written by Administrator

ABUJA – The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, has re-assigned the money laundering case and the civil suit for forfeiture of 57 property filed against Abubakar Malami to Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court.

Reports that hearing dates for the two cases, which will now be decided by Justice Egwuatu, had been fixed.

While the civil suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/20/2026, is scheduled for Feb. 12, the criminal case involving alleged money laundering preferred against Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF); his wife Hajia Asabe Bashir and his son, Abdulaziz, is fixed for Feb. 16.

The ex-AGF, his wife and son are expected to be re-arraigned in the 16-count criminal charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, before the new trial judge, following the re-assignment of the case.

According to the practice, an existing case re-asssigns to another judge is expected to begin de novo (afresh) and issues are decided without reference to any legal conclusion or assumption made by the previous court, except parties agree.

Reports that Malami, Asabe and Abdulaziz were, on Dec. 30, 2025, arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister court, who sat as vacation judge during the Christmas break.

They were arraigned on allegations bordering on money laundering offences to the tune of N8, 713,923, 759.49(Eight billion, seven hundred and thirteen million, nine hundred and twenty three thousand, seven hundred and fifty nine naira, forty nine kobo).

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts.

While Malami and son were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, Asabe was remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre before they were admitted to N500 million bail each, on Jan. 7, with two sureties each in the like sum.

Also, Justice Nwite had, on Jan. 6, ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 property suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities linked to Malami, to the Federal Government.

The judge made the order following an ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, to the effect.

The judge directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested person(s) to show cause, within 14 days, why all the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The multi-billion naira landed property are located in Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna States.

But Malami had since challenged the anti-graft agency’s civil suit, praying the court to dismiss same.

In a motion on notice filed on Jan. 27 on Malami’s behalf by a team of lawyers led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, the ex-AGF alleged that the anti-corruption agency got the interim order by suppression of material facts and misrepresentation.

Malami, who urged the court to dismiss the suit to prevent “conflicting outcomes duplicative litigation,” argued that the proceeding was an assault on his fundamental right to owned property, his presumption of innocence and his right to live in peace with his family.

The former AGF and his son, Abdulaziz, is also being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.(NAN)

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Malami Accuses EFCC, DSS Of Coordinated Plot to Deny Fair Trial

by Editor
written by Editor

By Chibuike Nwabuko

ABUJA (PRECISE POST)  –  A storm is brewing over Nigeria’s justice system as the Office of former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused security agencies of orchestrating a calculated campaign to deny him fair hearing and cripple his legal defence.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday via Malami’s Facebook signed by the Mohammed Bello Doka, the Special Assistant on Media to Abubakar Malami, SAN, Malami’s media office alleged that actions taken by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) amount to a direct assault on constitutional rights and the authority of the courts.

According to the statement, after the EFCC filed charges against Malami, the Federal High Court granted him bail. However, the EFCC allegedly withheld his international passports for about one week, even though surrendering them was a key condition for perfecting bail. The delay, the office said, unlawfully prolonged his detention and obstructed the execution of a valid court order.

Barely had Malami regained his freedom from Kuje Custodial Centre than he was rearrested by the DSS, the statement revealed. He was reportedly held incommunicado for five days, denied access to his lawyers and family, and only allowed to see his legal team after what was described as “prolonged isolation, delays, and grave violations of his fundamental human rights.”

The office said the timing of the DSS detention was particularly damaging, as Malami was required to prepare and open his defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court. Denying him access to legal counsel at such a critical moment, the statement noted, severely impaired his ability to consult, file processes, and issue instructions, striking at the heart of due process.

The statement further alleged a disturbing pattern in which arrest precedes investigation, with evidence allegedly sought only after detention — a practice it described as a blatant violation of the rule of law. It warned that the DSS appears to be adopting the same approach of arrest, detention, and post-hoc evidence gathering.

“The Office stresses that bail granted by a court must have meaning,” the statement said, warning that no agency should be allowed to neutralise judicial orders through coordinated delays, rearrests, or denial of access to legal representation. Such actions, it added, undermine the authority of the courts and pose a serious threat to fundamental human rights.

Despite the controversy, Malami reaffirmed his readiness to defend himself fully in court, urging all state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees, and the rule of law.

 

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Court admits Malami, wife, son to N500m bail each

by Administrator
written by Administrator
ABUJA – The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF); his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz and wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, to a N500 million bail each with two sureties each in the like sum.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that the reasons adduced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for opposing the defendants’ bail application were not concrete enough to deny them the request.

According to Justice Nwite, it tilts towards speculations.

The judge, therefore, granted their bail in the sum of N500 million each with two sureties who must be property owners in Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarimpa within the Federal Capital Territory.

He said that the documents of the landed property must be verified by the deputy registrar, Litigation, of the court.

He said that the defendants must deposit all their international passports to the deputy registrar, Litigation, of the court and they must not travel outside the country without the court permission.

Justice Nwite also ordered that the defendants and their sureties must deposit two passport photographs each to the court registrar.

Besides, the judge ordered that the residents of the sureties must be verified by the court registrar.

Justice Nwite, who ordered that the defendants must remain in Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres pending the perfection of their bail conditions, adjourned the matter until Feb. 17 for commencement of trial.

Reports that the EFCC had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, named the ex-minister, Hajia Bashir Asabe, his wife and an employee of a firm linked to the former minister, Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd, and his son as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

The anti-graft agency, in the 16 counts, accused the defendants of carrying out various suspicious transactions and attempting to conceal the unlawful origin of billions of naira through bank accounts and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi.

They allegedly committed the offences between 2015 and 2025, a period that includes the eight years Malami served as the AGF during the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The commission alleged that Malami, his son, and Asabe conspired to disguise the origin of funds, acquire property indirectly, and retain sums they allegedly knew were proceeds of unlawful activity, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022.

In count one, the EFCC alleged that between July 2022 and June 2025, Malami and his son directed Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1 billion (N1,014,848,500) in a Sterling Bank account, knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.

Count two alleged that between Sept. 2020 and Feb. 2021, the duo allegedly concealed more than N600 million (N600,013,460.40) through the same company.

In count three, the commission alleged that in March 2021, Malami and his son retained N600 million as cash collateral for a N500 million Sterling Bank loan to Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, despite knowing the funds were illicit.

Count four alleged that in Nov. 2022, Mr Malami, his son, and Asabe disguised N500 million used to purchase a luxury duplex in Maitama, Abuja.

In count five, the EFCC claimed that between Nov. 2022 and Sept. 2024, the trio conspired to conceal N1,049,173,926.13 paid through Meethaq Hotels Ltd’s Union Bank account.

Count six accused them that between Nov. 2022 and Oct. 2025, Malami and his son allegedly took control of N1,362,887,872.96 from the same account, knowing it was illicit.

Count seven alleged that in Nov. to Dec. 2018, Malami and Asabe concealed N700 million used to purchase No. 3 Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja (Hamonia Hotels Ltd).

In count eight, between Sept. and Dec. 2020, the duo and Asabe allegedly concealed N850 million to buy a property in Jabi District, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Ltd).

Count nine stated that in Feb. 2018, Malami and Hajia Bashir acquired No. 3 Rhine Street, Maitama, Abuja, for N430 million, allegedly from unlawful sources.

In count 10, the pair allegedly concealed N210 million in Feb. 2018 to purchase a property in Asokoro District, Abuja.

Count 11 alleged that between March and June 2021, they concealed N325 million used to acquire No. 1241B Asokoro District, Abuja.

In count 12, the EFCC alleged that between Nov. 2015 and Jan. 2016, the duo concealed N120 million used to purchase No. 27 Efab Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

Count 13 alleged that in Nov. 2022, tye ex-AGF, his son, and Asabe conspired to hide funds used to acquire a luxury duplex at Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja.

In count 14, between Dec. 2016 and April 2022, Malami, Asabe, and others allegedly “conspired to acquire additional properties” for Malami with proceeds of unlawful activity.

Count 15 alleged that between June 2023 and Jan. 2023, Malami allegedly concealed “N537 million used to purchase multiple properties across Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano.”

In count 16, the EFCC alleged that between Oct. 2018 and Dec. 2021, Malami concealed “N415 million used to acquire several properties in Abuja, Kebbi, and Kano.”

The EFCC said it planned o call several witnesses, including commission staff, bank representatives, Bureau de Change operators and other financial experts.

Key witnesses include Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya, Sani Lukeman, Abdulrahman Musa Basheer, Jamilu Mohammed, and representatives of Zenith Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc.

Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya, and Sani Lukeman are expected to testify on how the EFCC received intelligence and petitions of alleged monumental corruption against the former minister.

Abdulrahman Musa Basheer is to provide evidence on Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd’s role in allegedly purchasing property for Malami.(NAN)

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Court Orders Ex-AGF Malami, Wife and Son Remanded in Kuje Prison

by Joy: News Admin
written by Joy: News Admin

The Federal High Court In Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-dedendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives Bashir Asabe.

Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).

Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.

According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.

The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

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Group submits fresh petition to EFCC against Malami

by Joy: News Admin
written by Joy: News Admin

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has filed a fresh petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urging the agency to investigate new allegations of corruption, financial mismanagement and abuse of office against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN). Punch Newspapers

The petition, dated 23 December 2025, was addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju. The organisation said the new submission followed an earlier petition it filed on 11 September 2023.

The latest move comes as the EFCC files criminal charges against Mr Malami, who is expected to be arraigned in court in January.

According to HEDA, the fresh petition draws on “new audit reports, investigative findings and legislative probes” allegedly implicating the former minister during his tenure. HEDA said the action was taken in the public interest and in furtherance of Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive.

In separate developments this month, the EFCC has charged Mr Malami with multiple alleged offences, including money laundering and unlawful acquisition of assets, in a 16-count suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Premium Times Nigeria

Allegations cited in petition

HEDA’s petition highlights several issues it says warrant investigation:

  • An audit by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation that allegedly indicts the Ministry of Justice for mismanagement of ₦113.2 million in 2019, including inadequate documentation and failure to follow financial procedures.

  • Allegations that the ministry spent billions of naira without due process in 2017, including about ₦10.4 billion in judgment debt payments without proper oversight.

  • Claims that ₦32.5 million was paid as foreign travel allowances without mandatory approvals, and that 68 payment vouchers totaling ₦71.19 billion were unavailable for audit verification.

  • Reference to a Senate Public Accounts Committee probe into ₦2.2 billion drawn from Service Wide Votes between 2017 and 2021, allegedly lacking adequate accounting records.

  • Concern over ₦8 billion spent on prison decongestion initiatives reportedly lacking transparency and measurable outcomes.

Deep Offshore Judgment and revenue recovery

HEDA also accused Mr Malami of failing to enforce a 2018 Supreme Court judgment on the recovery of outstanding revenues under the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act, which government consultants estimated could have yielded over $55 billion for the Federation Account.

“The deliberate failure to fully enforce this judgment deprived the federation of enormous revenues at a critical time,” said HEDA’s chairman.

The group urged the EFCC to expand its ongoing probe to include the new allegations, ensure full recovery of any misappropriated public funds, and prosecute anyone found culpable, “no matter how highly placed.”

Background: EFCC case against Malami

Abubakar Malami (SAN) served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023. After leaving office, he became the subject of an EFCC investigation into alleged financial misconduct, abuse of office and related offences.

Last month, the anti-graft agency invited Mr Malami for questioning, which he said he honoured and described as part of his commitment to transparency. TheCable

In late December, the Federal Capital Territory High Court dismissed his application for bail, ruling that his detention by the EFCC in connection with the ongoing investigation was lawful. Businessday NG

In the recent 16-count charge filed by the EFCC, Mr Malami, his son and an associate are accused of engaging in transactions intended to conceal the unlawful origin of billions of naira through corporate accounts and property acquisitions across Abuja, Kano and Kebbi, allegedly over the period from 2015 to 2025. Premium Times Nigeria

The case remains before the Federal High Court, and Mr Malami’s legal team has been active in challenging aspects of his detention and the conduct of the investigation.

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EFCC Raids Follow Reference to Chapter 9 of the Salami Report Panel Indicting Current EFCC Chairman – Malami Alleges

by Editor
written by Editor

By Our Reporter

ABUJA (PRECISE POST)  –  The Office of Abubakar Malami, SAN, wishes to inform Nigerians that immediately after the release of our statement addressing Chapter 9 of the Salami Report, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out coordinated raids on our offices and on the private residences of Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja and Kebbi State.

The statement released on Malami’s Facebook page signed by the Special Assistant on Media to
Abubakar Malami, SAN, Mohammed Bello Doka, alleged that these actions were carried out without prior notice and were expressly directed at searching for documents allegedly connected to Chapter 9 of the Salami Report.

Raising alarm on alleged threats to safety and the rule of law, the statement said:

We consider this development deeply alarming. Coming on the heels of a public call for the EFCC Chairman’s recusal on grounds of bias arising from Chapter 9, these raids raise grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation, and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN.

We hereby place Nigerians and the international community on notice that any harm to our personnel or to Abubakar Malami, SAN, will be solely attributable to this pattern of conduct.

“Questions Nigerians and the Media Must Ask”

We urge Nigerians—particularly the media—to ask vital and germane questions, including but not limited to:

Why did these raids occur immediately after public reference to Chapter 9?

What specific authority justified searches focused on Chapter 9 of the Salami Report?

If the process is impartial, why resort to force and secrecy rather than due process?

Why has Chapter 9 remained a matter of contention years after the report’s submission?

“Call to Civil Society and Institutions”

We call on civil society organisations, professional bodies, and human rights groups to urgently pressure the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to release the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report—particularly Chapter 9—in the interest of transparency, accountability, and public confidence.

“Our Position”

Abubakar Malami, SAN, remains committed to submitting himself to a neutral and lawful process before a court of competent jurisdiction. Intimidation, raids, and media trials cannot substitute for due process.

More reports coming soon…..

 

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ADC Slams EFCC Over Revocation Of Malami’s Bail,Demand s Immediate Release

by Administrator
written by Administrator

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) decision to revoke the bail that was previously given to former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) has been characterized by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as political politics rather than law enforcement.

According to the ADC’s statement, which was signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General did not break any of the terms of his original bail, based on all available information.

The party pointed out that canceling his bail could give the unavoidable impression that the measure was conducted to restrict his political activities rather than to seek justice, particularly after he attended a political event in his home state of Kebbi.

The ADC reaffirmed the party’s support for the EFCC and any other anti-corruption agency to carry out its mandate of investigating crimes, but cautions that selective or weaponized investigations against opposition leaders ultimately jeopardize the country’s real fight against corruption and make anti-corruption agencies complicit in the government’s repression of dissent and opposition.

The complete statement stated: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) believes that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revoked Mallam Abubakar Malami, SAN’s bail for political reasons.

According to all the information at hand, Malami did not break any of the terms of his original bail. He knows what it means to break bail conditions because he is a senior attorney and a former top law enforcement official in the nation. Even though he has fully cooperated with the EFCC’s investigators, it is likely that he was unaware that attending a political event in support of his desire to become governor of his home state of Kebbi may be the reason for the EFCC to revoke his bail.

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