Few weeks after his corruption trial began, security source has confirmed the arrest of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged terrorism financing.
Malami was charged to court last month over 16 counts of money laundering and abuse of office worth a total of 8.7 billion Naira. He was on bail before his recent rearrest.
Confirming the development, the source said the arrest followed several petitions submitted against Malami, bordering on allegations of terrorism and terrorism financing.
“Yes, it is true that DSS operatives arrested Abubakar Malami, SAN. There are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing,” the source disclosed.
The source described terrorism and terrorism financing as serious offences with grave global implications, noting that Malami himself had taken a strong stance against such crimes while serving as Attorney General.
“You will recall that when Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he vowed that the government of the day would not shield any person or persons linked to terrorism or terrorism financing,” he said.
According to the source, no responsible government would ignore or downplay allegations of such magnitude, regardless of the status of the individual involved.
“No responsible government would, in the same vein, fold its hands or turn a blind eye to weighty allegations of terrorism financing levelled against any individual, no matter how highly placed. In this case, Malami, SAN,” the source added.
He further explained that the investigation involves inter-agency cooperation, a process he described as standard practice within the security architecture.
“In the course of investigations, we have what is called inter-agency cooperation. It is not uncommon for one security agency to hand over a person under investigation to another sister security agency,” he said.
The source emphasized that in Nigeria, the DSS is the primary agency statutorily responsible for investigating allegations related to terrorism and its financing.
“In Nigeria, the DSS is the sole security agency tasked with the responsibility of investigating such allegations. It is best to allow them to do their job,” he declared.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the DSS or representatives of Malami regarding the arrest or the allegations.