Malami’s Prison Cell Raided By Senior Correctional Officer
Abubakar Malami (SAN), former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was reportedly the subject of a raid at his VIP segregation cell in Kuje prison on Tuesday by a senior officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Sources at the facility said the officer, identified as the Assistant Controller-General of Corrections in charge of Operations, visited the prison to conduct a raid on Malami’s cell, as well as that of his son, Abdulaziz.
“Malami was raided in his apartment today by a senior correctional service officer, the ACG Operations. And likewise, his son,” a source at the facility said.
According to an eyewitness, the officer entered the facility briefly to carry out the raid and later drove out.
Details regarding the reason for the operation or any items seized were not immediately available.
Naija News House had earlier reported that Malami had yet to perfect his bail conditions amid a fresh investigation into arms and ammunition allegedly discovered in his residence in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Malami is facing a separate and serious probe by the Department of State Services (DSS) following the discovery of the arms at his Kebbi country home., The Nation reported on Monday.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) uncovered the arms and ammunition during a search of Malami’s residence.
However, because the investigation of illegal arms possession falls outside the EFCC’s statutory mandate, the anti-graft agency reportedly handed over the weapons to the DSS for a comprehensive investigation.
According to the report, the quantity of arms and ammunition recovered could not be immediately confirmed. However, sources said the number was substantial enough to warrant a full-scale DSS investigation.
Malami, who was granted bail last week alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and wife, Asabe Bashir, remains at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, having failed to meet the bail conditions imposed by the court.
Last week, it was reported that sources said that the former minister was deliberately delaying the perfection of his bail in order to avoid immediate arrest by the DSS over the arms-related investigation.
The newspaper earlier on Thursday reported that Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) had been placed under a heavy security blanket as over 50 DSS operatives took up strategic positions around the facility beginning Wednesday.
Sources described the deployment as a preemptive move to ensure that Malami, being held at the facility does not escape an investigation into terrorism-related offences, especially after he was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja in his N8.7 billion money laundering case on Wednesday.
According to sources familiar with the development, Malami, therefore, instructed his legal team to slow down the bail process amid fears that DSS operatives were prepared to rearrest him immediately upon his release in connection with an ongoing investigation linked to alleged terrorism financing.
“Malami has slowed down his bail processing as DSS operatives besiege Kuje Prison to arrest him for terrorism related charges upon being released on bail,” a top security source said.
“The former attorney general has told his lawyers to step down his bail processing as over 50 DSS officers lay siege to the prison compound waiting to pounce on him.”
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja last week ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 assets allegedly linked to Malami and his two sons. The assets, according to court documents, are valued at ₦213,234,120,000.
The court granted Malami, his sons, or any other interested claimant a 14-day window to appear before it and provide evidence that the assets were lawfully acquired.
However, failure to present satisfactory proof within the stipulated period may result in the permanent forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.
The interim forfeiture order was made pursuant to the invocation of the Non-Conviction Asset Forfeiture provisions contained in the EFCC Establishment Act.
The EFCC had approached the Federal High Court, seeking an order to seize the properties located in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Kebbi. According to the anti-graft agency, they are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
