Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was on Monday taken into custody by security operatives shortly after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
Operatives of the Department of State Services reportedly picked him up immediately after he exited the facility. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission clarified that it did not re-arrest Malami.
Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed that Malami was released after meeting his bail conditions.
“He has been released. He perfected his bail conditions and was released this afternoon,” one official said. Another added, “He joined the DSS in their vehicle after his release.”
A video obtained by our correspondent showed Malami being led to a black vehicle shortly after leaving the correctional centre.
In the footage, he was heard asking, “Who is the oga among you? Can I see your ID card?”
Efforts to obtain comments from the DSS Deputy Director of Public Relations, Favour Dozie, were unsuccessful, as calls to her phone were not returned.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale, reiterated, “We didn’t pick him up after he was released.”
Malami’s release followed the granting of bail on January 7 by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The court granted bail to Malami, his wife, and his son in the sum of N500 million each, with strict conditions.
Each defendant was required to produce two sureties with verifiable landed property within Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa, deposit property documents with the court, and submit affidavits of means.
They were also ordered to surrender their international passports and barred from travelling abroad without prior permission.
Malami, his wife Asabe, and his son had been remanded at Kuje following their arraignment by the EFCC on December 29, 2025, on a 16 counts, bordering on money laundering involving about N8.7bn.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants used multiple corporate entities, bank accounts, and high-value real estate transactions to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities.
Court documents (FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025) stated that Malami and his son allegedly used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal over N1.01bn between July 2022 and June 2025, and another N600m allegedly passed through a Sterling Bank account linked to the company between September 2020 and February 2021.
Additionally, the EFCC claimed the trio disguised the origin of N500m used to purchase a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama.
Malami had been in EFCC custody since December 8, 2025, after failing to meet earlier bail conditions.
On December 18, a Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Babangida Hassan, upheld his detention as lawful.
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