The need to investigate the alleged links of the immediate past Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to terrorists, made operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrest him on Monday, minutes after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, a security source has disclosed.
According to the source, the former chief law officer of the country may have several questions to answer on allegations that he used his office to shield several terrorists and their sponsors from prosecution.
Malami’s alleged shielding of terrorists and their sponsors, noted one of the sources, an officer in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), is believed to have led to what he described as the spawning of terrorists across the country.
As Attorney General of the Federation, noted multiple sources, Malami was, on the one hand, condemning terrorism financing, but, on the other, using his position to set several suspected terrorists and their financiers free.
Speaking with State House reporters in May 2021, Malami disclosed that the Federal government had arrested several suspects linked to terrorism financing, assuring that no individual found to be culpable would be spared.
He said, “Nobody is going to be spared, no stone will be left unturned. We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian State is concerned.”
Several Nigerians at the time, including prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, made spirited appeals to Malami to prosecute the over 400 persons, primarily foreign currency operators linked to terrorism financing, Malami kept making excuses for his failure to try them.
Also, despite several promises to name or prosecute the suspects, Malami left office in May 2023 without naming or protecting a single suspect. Instead, he used his position as AGF to set at least 410 terrorism suspects free, added one source.
Among those Malami used his office to set free were Captain Tijani Balarabe and 10 soldiers who freed Taraba kidnap kingpin, Bala Hamisu aka Wadume, after they killed three police officers and two civilians of the Intelligence Response Team, who had earlier arrested Wadume.
A security source confirmed Malami’s arrest. He said, “Yes, it is true that DSS operatives arrested Abubakar Malami, SAN. There are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing. “Terrorism and terrorism financing are serious offences globally. You’ll recall that when Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he vowed that the government of the day would not shield any person or persons linked to terrorism or terrorism financing.”
He continued, “No responsible government would, in the same vein, fold it’s hands or turn a blind eye to weighty allegations of terrorism financing leveled against against any individual, no matter how highly placed. In this case, Malami, SAN.
“In the course of investigations, we have what is called inter-agency cooperation. It is not uncommon for one security agency to hand over a person under investigation to another sister security agency. In “Nigeria, the DSS is the sole security agency tasked with the responsibility of investigating such allegations. It’ll be best to allow them do their job” he declared.
