Malami Alleges Rights Violations by DSS and EFCC Says He’s Ready to Defend Himself

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The office of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has accused security agencies of actions aimed at undermining his constitutional right to a fair hearing and proper legal defence.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami’s team expressed concern over what it described as a recurring pattern of conduct by state agencies following charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The statement said that although the Federal High Court granted Malami bail, the EFCC allegedly delayed submitting his international passports to the court for about a week—despite the passports being a key condition for completing bail. This, according to his office, unnecessarily prolonged his detention and obstructed enforcement of a valid court order.

Malami’s aides further alleged that immediately after he perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Custodial Centre, he was rearrested by the Department of State Services (DSS). He was reportedly held for five days without access to his lawyers or family, only being allowed to meet his legal team on Friday following a period of prolonged isolation.

The statement described this detention as a violation of his fundamental human rights, occurring at a critical time when Malami needed to prepare his defence for an EFCC interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court.

“It denied him the opportunity to consult with his lawyers, prepare filings, and give instructions—amounting to a clear frustration of due process,” the statement said.

Malami’s team further alleged that the sequence of events points to a concerning pattern in which arrest precedes investigation, with evidence collected only after detention. They claimed this approach contravenes the rule of law and constitutionally guaranteed rights, citing similar conduct by the DSS.

The statement stressed that court-granted bail must be respected and warned that no agency should undermine judicial orders through coordinated delays, rearrests, or denial of legal access.

“Mr. Malami remains ready to defend himself fully in court and in accordance with the law, and calls on all state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees, and the rule of law,” the statement concluded.