Operatives of the Department of State Services have re-arrested former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Security sources disclosed that Malami was taken into custody on Monday immediately after perfecting his bail conditions, following fresh allegations bordering on terrorism financing.
According to the sources, DSS operatives intercepted Malami as he exited the correctional facility, weeks after he was granted bail by the Federal High Court.
Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that the former AGF was released after meeting all bail requirements imposed by the court.
However, efforts to obtain official confirmation from the DSS proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Malami’s release followed a ruling delivered on January 7, 2026, by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granting bail to him, his wife Asabe, and their son in the sum of ₦500 million each.
The court ordered each defendant to produce two sureties with verifiable landed property in Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa, submit property documents to the court, and file affidavits of means.
They were also directed to surrender their international passports and barred from travelling outside the country without court approval.
Malami and his family members had earlier been remanded at Kuje Prison following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on December 29, 2025, over a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering involving about ₦8.7 billion.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants used multiple corporate entities, bank accounts, and high-value real estate transactions to launder proceeds of unlawful activities.
Amid the ongoing legal battle, Malami had accused the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, of bias and conflict of interest, calling for his recusal from all matters relating to him.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Mohammed Bello, Malami argued that Olukoyede’s continued involvement was legally and morally indefensible, citing Chapter Nine of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report.
He claimed that as Attorney General, he supervised the establishment of the Salami Commission, where the current EFCC chairman served as secretary, creating what he described as personal and professional conflicts.
However, responding to the allegation, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede dismissed claims of witch-hunting, insisting that the investigation of Malami was neither political nor partisan.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on January 11, Olukoyede said the probe predated his assumption of office and was being handled strictly in line with professional standards.
“If Nigeria is to move forward, all of us must agree that this fight against corruption must be conducted without partisanship,” he said.
