Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has been taken into the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) shortly after departing Kuje Correctional Centre, where he had been detained over ongoing legal challenges. The development marks a pivotal escalation in multiple overlapping investigations into alleged illegal activities involving one of Nigeria’s most senior former public officials.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s AGF and minister of justice under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had recently been granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja in a high-profile money-laundering case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The bail decision, delivered in early January 2026, required him, his wife and his son to meet stringent financial and surety conditions. However, fresh security developments surrounding alleged arms discoveries in his private residence precipitated immediate action by the nation’s intelligence agency.
On Monday, January 19, 2026, as Malami was leaving Kuje Correctional Centre — where he had been held pending perfection of his bail — operatives of the DSS moved in to take him into custody. A widely circulated video from the scene shows Malami asking security officials to identify themselves before entering a vehicle believed to belong to the DSS. Sources confirm that the arrest was executed just moments after he exited the prison grounds.
The basis for the DSS’s renewed detainment is tied to the discovery of arms and ammunition at Malami’s country home in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, during a search conducted earlier by EFCC operatives. While the EFCC’s primary mandate is to investigate financial crimes — including the multi-count money-laundering charges that Malami is facing — it does not have legal authority to probe weapons possession or terrorism-related offences. Consequently, the agency transferred the recovered firearms to the DSS for a comprehensive investigation.
Security sources indicate that the quantity and nature of the arms and ammunition found were substantial enough to trigger a full investigation by the DSS, which is vested with constitutional authority to handle matters relating to internal security, illegal weapons possession and terrorism financing. Investigators are said to be seeking clarity on the provenance of the weapons and any possible connections to broader security concerns.
While the details of the weapons and the precise allegations remain under wraps, insiders note that several petitions alleging terrorism financing and related offences have been submitted against Malami to the DSS. These claims, if verified, could significantly widen the scope of the legal challenges facing the former minister beyond the ongoing EFCC money-laundering case.
The fresh detention by the DSS comes amid intense legal and political scrutiny of Malami’s actions both during and after his tenure as AGF. He has been at the centre of multiple investigations tied to alleged financial improprieties, including a high-value fraud and money-laundering case involving billions of naira spanning a decade-long period. Malami and his co-accused, which include his immediate family members, have consistently denied wrongdoing and maintained their innocence in public statements.
His legal ordeal gained national attention in late 2025 when he was arraigned alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Asabe Bashir, on a 16-count indictment alleging conspiracy to launder proceeds of unlawful activity. The EFCC’s accusations include sophisticated schemes involving the concealment and retention of billions of naira through various bank accounts and corporate entities. Despite being granted bail by the Federal High Court, the conditions attached have proven difficult to satisfy fully, as security concerns have overshadowed routine administrative procedures for release.
The DSS’s decision to take Malami into custody reflects a broader pattern of intensified security probes in cases involving high-profile figures accused of serious offences. Nigeria’s intelligence and law-enforcement apparatuses have increasingly adopted inter-agency cooperation to address crimes that straddle financial misconduct, national security and organised criminality. By handing over the weapons found at Malami’s residence to the DSS, the EFCC signalled a willingness to defer to relevant authorities on matters beyond its statutory remit.
Political and legal analysts caution that the unfolding situation could have wider repercussions for governance, judicial independence and public trust in state institutions. Some observers argue that high-level investigations underscore Nigeria’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law, regardless of an individual’s status or political connections. Others, however, warn that such cases must be handled with utmost transparency and adherence to due process to prevent perceptions of selective enforcement or politicisation of justice.
The DSS has not yet publicly released a detailed statement on the grounds of Malami’s detention, the specific charges being investigated, or the legal framework under which he is being held. Meanwhile, his legal team is expected to pursue all available judicial avenues to challenge the detention and clarify the scope of the investigation, including potential applications before Nigeria’s courts to contest any irregularities or constitutional issues.
As the situation develops, questions remain over the timing and trajectory of both the money-laundering case and the fresh arms and security probe. Legal experts predict that the convergence of financial and security allegations could lead to a protracted legal battle with significant implications for Nigeria’s justice system and political landscape.
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