The trial of Abubakar Malami, SAN, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has been turned over by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Malami, who held the position of Justice Minister during the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, is charged with five counts related to unlawful firearm ownership and terrorism financing.
He and his son, Abdulaziz, were also arraigned.
In order to give the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) control over the prosecution, the DSS withdrew from the case at the resumed proceedings on Wednesday.
After the case was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), declared that Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, AGF, had decided to prosecute the defendants.
Oyedepo, SAN, told the court, “My Lord, I was informed by counsel to the DSS that the case file has been transmitted to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.”
In order for the AGF’s office to examine the case file and determine the next course of action, he requested an adjournment.
Mr. Adedayo Adedeji, SAN, the defendants’ attorney, did not object to the motion for an adjournment but stated that if the trial did not start, he would apply to have the matter dismissed at the following meeting.
Proceedings were postponed till March 10 by Justice Abdulmalik.
On February 3, Malami and his son were charged in court by the DSS.
In count one of the charge, the former Justice Minister was charged with intentionally aiding and abetting the funding of terrorism by neglecting to pursue terrorist financiers whose case files had been handed to his office as AGF.
Malami and his son were both charged in counts two through five with unlawful possession of firearms, a crime that is punishable by the Firearms Act of 2004 and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
Malami and Abdulaziz were charged with unlawfully storing firearms at their home in Gesse Phase II, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026.
After entering a not guilty plea to the charges, the defendants were given N200 million in bail, each with two sureties of an equivalent amount.
However, a separate money laundering indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has kept them in jail.
