Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has accused the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of actions he described as calculated attempts to undermine his constitutional rights and frustrate his defence in court.
Malami, who is currently facing charges filed by the EFCC, made the allegations in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, shortly after his release from custody.
According to the statement, although a Federal High Court had granted the former minister bail, the EFCC allegedly delayed the submission of his international passports — a key condition for perfecting the bail — for about one week, thereby prolonging his detention.
The statement further claimed that immediately after he perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Custodial Centre, Malami was rearrested by the DSS and held incommunicado for five days without access to his lawyers or family members.
His aides said Malami was only allowed to see his legal team on Friday after what they described as prolonged isolation, adding that the detention amounted to a violation of his fundamental human rights.
The former AGF’s camp also alleged that the fresh detention came at a critical time when he was required to prepare his defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court.
They argued that denying him access to legal counsel during this period impaired his ability to consult with his lawyers, prepare court filings and give instructions, describing the development as “a clear frustration of due process.”
The statement accused security agencies of adopting what it called a troubling pattern of “arrest before investigation,” where evidence is allegedly sought after detention, warning that such practices undermine the rule of law and constitutional safeguards.
“Bail granted by a court of competent jurisdiction must be respected and complied with,” the statement said, adding that no agency should undermine judicial orders through coordinated delays, rearrests or denial of access to legal representation.
Malami, however, said he remained ready to defend himself in court.
“Mr. Malami remains fully prepared to defend himself in accordance with the law and calls on all state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees and the rule of law,” the statement added.
Efforts to reach officials of the EFCC and DSS for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.
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