DSS arraigns Malami, son over alleged terrorism financing, illegal possession of firearm
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned Abubakar Malami, former attorney general of the federation, and his son, Abdulaziz, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms.
The defendants were brought before the court on Tuesday on a five count charge bordering on terrorism related offences.
According to the DSS, Malami allegedly refused to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were forwarded to his office while he served as attorney general of the federation.
The secret police also accused Malami and his son of planning to commit acts of terrorism by unlawfully possessing a firearm and live ammunition at their residence in Kebbi State.
In one of the charges, the DSS alleged that Malami knowingly abetted terrorism financing in November 2022 by declining to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, an offence said to be contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Another charge alleged that Malami and his son, in December 2025, were found in possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 live rounds of cartridges and 27 expended cartridges at their residence in Birnin Kebbi without a licence, contrary to Section 29 of the same Act.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following the plea, Calistus Eze, counsel to the DSS, asked the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the secret police and to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
However, Shuaibu Aruwan, counsel to Malami and his son, made an oral application for bail, arguing that his clients had been in custody for over two weeks.
The trial judge, Joyce Abdulmalik, rejected the oral bail application and directed the defence to file a formal bail request. She subsequently ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and adjourned the case until February 20.
Malami was arrested on January 19 by DSS operatives at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja shortly after meeting bail conditions in a separate case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had earlier arraigned Malami, his son and his wife on a 16 count charge bordering on money laundering involving over N8.7 billion. The anti graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired between 2015 and 2025 to launder proceeds of unlawful activities through bank accounts and corporate entities to conceal the source and ownership of the funds.
