Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has raised alarm over what his office described as calculated moves by security agencies to frustrate his right to fair hearing and effective legal defence.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami’s office accused the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of deliberately undermining a valid court order in an ongoing interim forfeiture case.
According to the statement, the EFCC allegedly held on to Malami’s international passports for about one week instead of submitting them promptly to the Federal High Court, despite the documents being a key condition for the perfection of his bail.
The office said the delay unnecessarily prolonged Malami’s detention and stalled the implementation of the court’s bail order.
It further alleged that shortly after Malami perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Custodial Centre, he was rearrested by the DSS and detained for five days without access to his lawyers or family members.
Doka claimed Malami was only allowed to see his legal team on Friday after what the office described as prolonged isolation and violations of his fundamental rights.
The statement stressed that the detention came at a critical time when Malami was required to prepare his defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court, adding that denying him access to counsel severely impaired his ability to consult and give instructions.
“The sequence of events suggests a pattern where arrest precedes investigation, with evidence sought after detention,” Doka alleged.
He warned that such actions weaken the authority of the judiciary and pose a serious threat to the rule of law.
“The Office stresses that bail granted by a court must have meaning.
No agency should be permitted to neutralise judicial orders through coordinated delays, rearrests, or denial of access to legal representation,” the statement read.
The office maintained that Malami remains prepared to defend himself in court and called on state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees, and the rule of law.
