In a significant shift, the Federal Government discontinued its prosecution of Abubakar Malami (SAN) and his son, Abdulaziz, regarding allegations of terrorism financing.
An amended charge was subsequently filed, shifting the legal focus to the unauthorized possession of weapons and live ammunition purportedly recovered from the former AGF’s home in Kebbi State.
Both defendants entered a plea of “not guilty” to the revised five-count indictment.
Following an application by the defense, the court ruled that Malami and his son could continue to enjoy the administrative bail terms previously established, a move that went unopposed by the government’s legal team.
The application for the defendant’s bail was not challenged by prosecution counsel.
Consequently, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the bail the court granted the defendants on February 27, as well as all the conditions already fulfilled, would subsist.
The court subsequently fixed May 26 and June 15 for trial.
Persecondnews recalls that the Department of State Services had arraigned Malami and his son on February 3, 2026.
The former Justice Minister was initially accused of knowingly abetting terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files had been brought to his office as AGF.
Both Malami and his son were jointly accused of unlawful possession of firearms, offences punishable under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami and Abdulaziz were accused of storing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, without lawful authority.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the allegations and was granted bail in the sum of N200 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
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