Things could not have got messier for the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation, AGF Mallam, Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN), and his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, as the Department of State Services, DSS, on Tuesday, arraigned them before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged terrorism financing and unlawful possession of firearms.
Malami and his son were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, aiding and abetting terrorism, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Father and son pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Malami was the only name in Count One of the charge sheet which accused him of knowingly abetting terrorism financing by allegedly refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were forwarded to his office during his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The former AGF and his son were jointly named in Counts Two to Five in which the duo were allegedly found to be in illegal possession of firearms sometime in December 2025 in their residence in Gesse Phase II, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The weapons reportedly found in their possession were listed as a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 rounds of Redstar AAA 5.20 live ammunition, and 27 expended cartridges.
The offences were said to contravene the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.
After their pleas were taken, the prosecuting counsel, Dr. C. S. Eze, applied for the defendants to be remanded in DSS custody pending the commencement of trial. But the lead defence counsel, S. A. Alua, SAN, made an oral application for bail on behalf of the defendants.
Justice Abdulmalik declined the oral.applucation and held that the Federal High Court, being a court of record, could only entertain a formal written application for bail.
Consequently, the matter was adjourned to February 20 for hearing of the bail application and possible commencement of trial.
