The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally arraigned the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja. In a significant development that shook the nation’s capital on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the secret police brought five criminal counts against the former chief law officer, centering on alleged terrorism financing and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The arraignment took place before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, marking a dramatic escalation in the legal tribulations of the former minister. According to court documents presented during the proceedings on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the DSS accused the Malamis of engaging in conduct preparatory to acts of terrorism. The charges specifically allege that in December 2025, at their residence in the Gesse Phase II area of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, the defendants were found in unlawful possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition without the requisite license.
Prosecutors for the state detailed that the stockpile included sixteen Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of cartridges and twenty-seven expended cartridges of the same make. The prosecution argued that these actions contravene Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as provisions of the Firearms Act. The courtroom was tense as the charges were read, highlighting the gravity of accusing a former Attorney General—the very individual once tasked with upholding the country’s laws—of such serious national security breaches.
This arraignment follows a tumultuous period for Malami, who has been in and out of detention facilities since late last year. It will be recalled that he was initially taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over money laundering allegations involving billions of naira. Although he was granted bail by Justice Emeka Nwite regarding those financial crimes charges in January, his freedom was short-lived. Operatives of the DSS rearrested him almost immediately after he perfected his bail conditions at the Kuje Correctional Centre, citing fresh intelligence linking him to terrorism financing and the arms cache discovered at his Kebbi residence.
The swift rearrest and subsequent detention by the secret police had drawn criticism from Malami’s legal team and media aides, who accused the government of violating his fundamental human rights and denying him access to counsel. However, the DSS maintained that the investigation was sensitive and critical to national security, a stance that culminated in the formal charges filed on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. As the trial commences, legal observers and political analysts across the continent are watching closely to see how the judiciary handles the prosecution of one of the most powerful figures in the previous administration.
