Alleged Terrorism Financing: FG Arraigns Ex-AGF Malami, Son

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The federal government yesterday arraigned the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

They were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, on a five-count criminal charge bordering on abetting terrorism financing and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.

The two defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge read against them.

Based on their not guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Calistus Eze, prayed the court for a date to commence trial of the defendants.

Eze also prayed the court to order the remand of the defendants in the custody of Department of State Services (DSS), pending further proceedings in the matter.

Responding, Shuaibu Arua, SAN, who represented the defendants, sought the leave of the court to make an oral application for the bail of the defendants.

Arua informed the court that the defendants had been in the custody of DSS for over two weeks and were brought to court directly from the hospital.

In a short ruling, Abdulmalik, who observed that the Federal High Court was a court of record, ordered the defendants’ lawyer to file a formal bail application on behalf of his clients.

She subsequently adjourned the matter till February 20 for commencement of trial, and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of DSS.

The federal government, in count one, accused Malami of knowingly abetting terrorism financing, “by refusing to prosecute terrorism financers whose case files 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”.

In count two, Malami and his son were accused of engaging in a conduct in preparation to commit an act of terrorism by having in their possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of Cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 520 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The charges also read, “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.”

Malami, his son, and wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, were on December 30, 2025 arraigned on a 16-count criminal charge bordering on money-laundering to the tune of N9 billion.

They were, however, admitted to bail in the sum of N500 million each on January 7 by Justice Emeka Nwite, a then vacation judge.

However, the DSS re-arrested Malami and his son, after their release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, where they were remanded pending the perfection of their bail in the money laundering charge.