Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami’s office has raised alarm over his detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) and alleged obstruction of his legal defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture case.
A press statement signed by Mohammed Bello Doka, Special Assistant on Media to Abubakar Malami, SAN, expressed concern over “a deliberate attempt to frustrate his constitutional right to fair hearing and effective legal defence”.
Malami was granted bail by the Federal High Court following charges filed by the EFCC, but the commission delayed submitting his international passports, prolonging his detention. After perfecting bail, he was rearrested by the DSS and detained for five days without access to lawyers or family.
“This sequence of events clearly suggests a pattern where arrest precedes investigation, with evidence sought after detention—an approach that is a blatant violation of the rule of law and constitutionally guaranteed rights,” the statement read.
Malami’s office stressed that “bail granted by a court must have meaning” and urged institutions to respect court orders and the rule of law.