DSS Arrests Malami Immediately After Release From Kuje Prison

🚨 Legal drama unfolds in Abuja 🚨

The Department of State Services (DSS) has re-arrested former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami just moments after he was released from Kuje Correctional Centre on Monday, January 19.

Malami, who is standing trial at the Federal High Court for money laundering charges, was taken into custody over fresh allegations linked to terrorism financing, according to security sources. DSS operatives reportedly picked him up immediately after he exited the facility.

His release from Kuje followed a Federal High Court ruling on January 7, 2026, where Justice Emeka Nwite granted bail of ₦500 million each for Malami, his wife Asabe, and his son — under strict conditions including surrendering passports, property documents, providing two sureties with verifiable landed property in Asokoro, Maitama, or Gwarimpa, and being barred from traveling abroad without court permission.

The family had originally been remanded after the EFCC arraigned them on December 29, 2025, over 16-count money laundering charges involving about ₦8.7 billion. The EFCC alleged the use of corporate entities, multiple bank accounts, and real estate transactions to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities.

Amid the ongoing legal saga, Malami accused EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede of bias, demanding his recusal due to prior professional exposure, while Olukoyede maintained the investigation is non-partisan, professional, and thorough, stressing that it predates his tenure.

The DSS has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the re-arrest.

In Nigeria, one door opens and another closes instantly, and Malami’s brief release from Kuje proves just that — a reminder that high-profile legal battles can shift in seconds, keeping the nation glued to the unfolding drama.