Federal Government Amends Charges Against Former AGF Malami, Drops Terrorism Financing Allegations
In a significant legal development, the Federal Government has formally amended the charges filed against former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami. The revised charges, presented in court on Wednesday, have removed all allegations related to terrorism financing, narrowing the case to focus exclusively on the alleged illegal possession of firearms.
Court Proceedings and Legal Substitutions
During the court session, counsel representing the Department of State Services, Akinlolu Kehinde, informed the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, about the amendment. Kehinde formally applied for the substitution of the earlier charge, which had included five counts encompassing both terrorism financing and illegal firearms possession. The defense counsel, Shaibu Aruwa, confirmed that his clients had been duly served with the amended charge and raised no objections to its reading in open court.
Following the procedural acceptance, the amended charge was read aloud to the defendants. Both Abubakar Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, entered pleas of not guilty to the revised allegations. Justice Abdulmalik subsequently ruled that the defendants should continue under the bail conditions previously granted on February 27, which required each defendant to post bail in the sum of N200 million, supported by two sureties in like sum.
Revised Charges and Allegations
The amended charge now centers solely on accusations that arms and live cartridges were recovered from Malami's residence in Birnin Kebbi. This marks a substantial shift from the initial arraignment on February 3, where the DSS had leveled a five-count charge that included serious allegations of terrorism financing. The earlier charges had accused the former Attorney-General of failing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers despite case files reportedly being forwarded to his office during his tenure.
The removal of the terrorism financing allegations represents a notable reduction in the scope and severity of the legal proceedings against the former top government official and his son. The case has been adjourned to May 26 and June 15 for the commencement of the trial, where the prosecution will now focus exclusively on proving the illegal possession of firearms charges.
Background and Implications
This development follows the initial high-profile arrest and arraignment that had drawn significant public and media attention due to the serious nature of the terrorism financing allegations. The decision to amend the charges may have broader implications for how similar cases are handled in the future and reflects the evolving nature of legal strategies in complex security-related prosecutions. The court's maintenance of the existing bail conditions ensures the defendants remain out of custody while the judicial process continues, with all parties now preparing for the upcoming trial dates focused solely on the firearms possession allegations.
