Malami raises alarm over alleged planned rearrest by DSS

By : Tunde Omolehin

Date: 7 January 2026 8:41pm WAT

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Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)

Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has raised the alarm over plans by security agencies to rearrest him immediately upon his release, despite a subsisting court order granting him bail. In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami alleged that operatives of government security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), have mounted surveillance around the Kuje Correctional Service in preparation for a fresh arrest.

According to the statement, the development comes weeks after the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) granted Malami bail. However, the bail order was allegedly not honoured, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declined to effect his release, a move his camp described as a deliberate frustration of a valid judicial decision. The statement further claimed that intelligence available to Malami’s legal team indicates that plans are underway to rearrest him on what were described as unrelated and trumped-up charges immediately after his release in the current matter.

“This pattern of granting bail on paper while preparing fresh arrests to ensure continued detention represents a grave assault on constitutional safeguards and an abuse of state power,” the statement said. Malami’s office expressed concern that such actions could undermine public confidence in the justice system and amount to a disregard for judicial authority.

It also warned that the safety of Malami, his family, and members of his staff could be at risk. “We place it clearly on record that any act of intimidation, unlawful detention, or harm arising from these actions must be fully accounted for by those responsible,” the statement added.

The former Attorney-General, according to his aides, remains willing to submit himself to all lawful judicial processes and has consistently demonstrated respect for the rule of law. The statement maintained that it is only demanding strict compliance with court orders and the constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen.

It also called on relevant authorities, the legal community, civil society organisations, and the international community to closely monitor the situation and prevail on security agencies to act strictly within the confines of the law.

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