Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has reportedly been subjected to a raid at his VIP segregation cell in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
Sources within the facility disclosed that the operation was carried out on Tuesday by a senior official of the Nigerian Correctional Service, identified as the Assistant Controller-General of Corrections in charge of Operations. The raid reportedly extended to the cell occupied by Malami’s son, Abdulaziz.
A source said the senior officer briefly entered the facility, conducted the search, and left shortly afterward. An eyewitness confirmed the visit but noted that details of the raid, including the motive and whether any items were recovered, were not immediately known.
Malami is currently being held at the Kuje Correctional Centre after failing to meet bail conditions granted to him, his son, and his wife, Asabe Bashir. His continued detention is linked to multiple investigations, including allegations surrounding the discovery of arms and ammunition at his residence in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
The weapons were reportedly uncovered by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a search of the property. However, as arms-related offences fall outside the EFCC’s jurisdiction, the seized items were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
Sources indicated that the quantity of arms recovered was significant enough to prompt a full-scale DSS probe. Malami is also facing an ongoing ₦8.7 billion money laundering case before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Last week, SaharaReporters reported that Malami deliberately delayed the perfection of his bail, allegedly to avoid immediate re-arrest by the DSS over possible terrorism-related offences. This came amid heightened security around the Kuje facility, where more than 50 DSS operatives were reportedly deployed to strategic locations.
In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 assets allegedly linked to Malami and his two sons. The assets, valued at approximately ₦213.2 billion, are located across Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Kebbi states.
The court granted Malami and other interested parties 14 days to prove that the properties were lawfully acquired, warning that failure to do so could result in permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government under the non-conviction asset forfeiture provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act.
