KEY POINTS

• Former AGF Abubakar Malami alleges the DSS is denying him access to his family and legal team while he faces trial for alleged money laundering.

• Malami was re-arrested shortly after being granted N500 million bail, reportedly over an alleged discovery of arms at his residence, which his aides deny.

• His media team expressed concern that the “prolonged isolation” raises serious questions about his safety, welfare, and constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Abubakar Malami, who used to be Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, says that the Department of State Services (DSS) is keeping him from seeing his family and lawyers.

The EFCC first charged Malami with money laundering and sent him to Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. He is now on trial with his wife and son. A federal high court gave him bail of N500 million on January 7.

But it is said that DSS agents re-arrested him right after he got out of jail because they found weapons at his house.

On Wednesday, Mohammed Doka, Malami’s media aide, said that reports that weapons were found at the former minister’s home were not true. He called the claims “false, unsubstantiated, and not backed up by any official record.” He also said that Malami, his family, and his legal team had not been formally told about these findings.

Doka said he was worried about what he called Malami’s “prolonged isolation.” He said this makes him very worried about the former AGF’s safety, well-being, and constitutionally protected rights.

He stressed that keeping family and lawyers away from Malami could hurt his ability to defend himself well in the ongoing legal proceedings.

Concerns over rights and welfare

The media aide talked about Malami’s “prolonged isolation” and said that the treatment could put his safety, health, and constitutional rights at risk. He also stressed that limiting Malami’s access to family and legal counsel could make it harder for him to mount a strong defense in the ongoing legal proceedings.

People are talking more about the DSS’s treatment of high-profile detainees and the balance between security measures and individual rights in Nigeria’s justice system since the incident.

Malami was Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023. During that time, there were a lot of important changes to the country’s legal and judicial systems. He is currently on trial for alleged financial wrongdoing involving family members and friends, which he has always denied.

Legal experts have spoken out about the re-arrest, saying that once a federal court grants bail, any further detention must be clearly justified and communicated to both the court and the defendant.