Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was taken into custody by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on January 19, 2026, shortly after his release from Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. Malami had completed his bail conditions in connection with an ongoing case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The DSS arrest is reportedly linked to allegations of terrorism financing and the discovery of arms and ammunition at Malami’s country home in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. The EFCC had uncovered the arms during a search of his residence as part of their financial crime probe, and since the illegal possession of firearms falls outside the EFCC’s mandate, the agency handed the matter over to the DSS for comprehensive investigation.
Malami is facing a 16-count charge from the EFCC related to alleged money laundering involving over N8 billion. The charges implicate him, his wife Asabe Bashir, and son Abdulaziz Malami in the use of companies to allegedly acquire numerous properties across states.
According to court filings, 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.
Malami’s legal troubles began when the EFCC started probing his activities as Attorney General, focusing on alleged corruption and money laundering. Despite being granted bail, Malami’s release was stalled due to concerns over potential rearrest by the DSS. He was eventually taken into custody by the DSS after completing his bail conditions.
A security source said, “There are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing. Terrorism and terrorism financing are serious offences globally.”
