A dramatic shift occurred in the trial of former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami (SAN) on Wednesday as the current AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), stepped in to lead the prosecution.
Represented by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the AGF requested an adjournment, explaining that the office had only just received the case file from the DSS.
The defence, led by Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), expressed strong frustration over the delay.
Adedeji urged the court to strike out the charges if the government failed to open its case at the next hearing.
While the prosecution dismissed this demand as premature, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ultimately adjourned the matter, fixing March 10 for the trial to formally begin under the AGF’s direction.
Persecondnews recalls that the court had on February 27 admitted Malami and his son, Abdulaziz to N200m bail, with two sureties, each one of whom must own landed property either in Maitama or Asokoro.
Justice Abdulmalik had said that the title of the property must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court along with valid international passports.
The sureties were also ordered to depose to affidavit of means and submit their two recent passport photographs with the court.
Besides, Malami and his son were also ordered to submit their international passports and recent passport photographs to the court.
The DSS had arraigned Malami and his son, Abdulaziz on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and illegal firearms possession.
In the charge, marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.
Beyond the terrorism financing allegations, Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, face charges for the unauthorized storage of firearms at their residence in the Gesse Phase II area of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
The DSS specifically charged the former AGF in count one with knowingly abetting terrorism financing.
Counts two through five detail the alleged unlawful possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, alongside 16 rounds of live Redstar AAA 5720 cartridges and 27 expended shells.
These actions are cited as violations of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.
It reads: “That you, Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, Adult, male, sometime in November, 2022 at Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly abet terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose casefiles were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II, Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your res:dence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did engage in a conduct in preparation to commit act of terrorism by having in your possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, Sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5°20 live rounds of Cartridges and Twenty-Seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 .
“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.
“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.
“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession twenty-seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.”
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