Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has surrendered to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) following days of tension over his delayed bail and the security standoff at Kuje Correctional Facility.
It had previously been reported that the DSS had maintained a blockade around the prison since Malami was granted bail, preventing his release despite his compliance with bail conditions.
Although legally entitled to freedom, Malami remained confined in Kuje Prison, turning what should have been a routine administrative process into a high-profile standoff.
The situation escalated last Friday when Malami’s son was arrested while allegedly attempting to leave the prison premises amid the clampdown, a move seen as tightening state control rather than easing it.
Today (Monday), Malami finally surrendered to the DSS, one week after his bail was stalled, and just hours after activist Omoyele Sowore publicly announced plans to visit Kuje Prison to intervene and help secure his release.
According to SaharaReporters, in early January, Kuje Prison was placed under tight security, with more than 50 DSS operatives deployed to strategic positions around the facility.
Sources described the deployment as a preemptive move to ensure Malami, being held at the facility does not escape an investigation into terrorism-related activities, especially after he was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja in his N8.7 billion money laundering case.
On Sunday, SaharaReporters reported that DSS operatives had rearrested Abdulaziz, Malami’s son, at Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, following his father’s renewed refusal to leave the facility despite completing bail procedures.
The incident occurred on Friday when court bailiffs from the Federal High Court arrived at the prison with fully processed bail documents to secure Abdulaziz’s release.
However, sources within the facility said Malami reportedly insisted that his son be quietly moved out of the prison without the usual formalities.
Security officials, who had placed the facility under heightened surveillance, were said to have been monitoring all movements in and out of the prison following intelligence reports suggesting attempts to manage Abdulaziz’s release away from public attention.
As a result, DSS operatives stationed around the correctional centre reportedly profiled every vehicle leaving the premises. Abdulaziz was subsequently intercepted and rearrested shortly after being handed over to those facilitating his release.
“This happened on Friday; the son was taken from bailiffs from the Federal High Court who brought fully processed bail papers but Malami refused to leave, urging that they sneak his son out. But the DSS profiled every car leaving and rearrested his son,” a source privy to the incident said.
A security source familiar with the matter said the move reflects growing unease within the intelligence community over what they described as “irregular efforts” surrounding the former attorney-general’s approach to his son’s release.
In late December, SaharaReporters exclusively revealed that Abdulaziz, remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre with his father and his father’s wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, had been rushed to the prison clinic.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Abdulaziz was admitted for observation after he suddenly fell ill on Tuesday, December 30.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Malami alongside his fourth wife, Asabe, and Abdulaziz before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
The defendants face a 16-count charge of conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to ₦8,713,923,759.49, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecuting counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, stated that the arraignment was to enable the defendants take their pleas. Defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection. All three defendants pleaded not guilty.
According to court filings obtained by SaharaReporters, the EFCC alleges that Malami used fronts and corporate entities, including Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd and Meethaq Hotels Ltd, to launder public funds while in office.
One of the charges claims Malami and his son procured over N1,014,848,500 through Metropolitan Auto Tech Ltd between July 2022 and June 2025 to conceal the origin of funds in a Sterling Bank account.
Another alleges that Malami used N600,000,000 as collateral to secure a loan for Rayhaan Hotels Ltd, despite allegedly knowing the money was suspicious.
Multiple counts accuse the defendants of using properties company and Bureau De Change operators to disguise payments for high-end properties in Maitama, Jabi, Asokoro, Gwarimpa, and Kano, including: N500 million luxury duplex, Amazon Street, Maitama; N700 million property, Onitsha Crescent, Garki; N850 million Meethaq Hotels, Jabi; N430 million Rhine Street property, Maitama; N537 million properties in Abuja, Kano and Birnin Kebbi.
Two of the properties were described as “Hamonia Hotels Ltd, Area 11 Garki” and Meethaq Hotels on Rhine Street in Maitama.
In documents tendered to the court as Proof of Evidence, the anti-graft agency listed witnesses including investigators, Bureau De Change operators and bankers.
The EFCC says its officials, Folarin Dare, Chinedu Eneanya and Sani Lukeman, will testify about how petitions and intelligence reports triggered the probe into “monumental corruption” allegedly linked to the former minister.
A witness, Hassan Aliyu, reportedly claims his company’s account was used for suspicious multi-million-naira transactions without his full knowledge.
Despite the weight of the accusations, Malami and his co-defendants insist they are innocent. They entered a not guilty plea, forcing the case into full trial.
