AGF Fagbemi Takes Charge of Malami Case
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the prosecution of his predecessor, Abubakar Malami, who is facing terrorism and illegal firearms possession charges.
Malami was arraigned by the Department of State Services before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a five-count charge.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, announced Fagbemi’s takeover of the case before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Wednesday.
Oyedepo told the court that the prosecution would need time to study the case file, as the Attorney General had just assumed responsibility for the matter. He said the trial could not proceed immediately.
Counsel to the defendants, Adedayo Adedeji, did not oppose the request for adjournment but urged the court to strike out the case if the prosecution fails to open its case at the next hearing, citing lack of diligent prosecution.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter until March 10 for trial and for the prosecution to formally open its case.
The court had earlier, on February 27, admitted Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, to bail in the sum of ₦200 million each, with two sureties who must own landed property in Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja.
The judge ordered that the title documents of the properties be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, alongside valid international passports. The sureties were also directed to depose to affidavits of means and submit recent passport photographs.
Malami and his son were further ordered to surrender their international passports and recent passport photographs to the court.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, the DSS accused Malami of knowingly abetting terrorism financing by allegedly refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were forwarded to him while he served as AGF.
Both defendants are also accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.