January 21, 2026 — Dalena Reporters
Abuja, Nigeria — The Department of State Services (DSS) has moved to obtain a court remand order that would allow it to detain former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, as part of an intensifying investigation into allegations that include terrorism financing, mishandling of critical security intelligence, and other unresolved matters dating from his tenure in office. The developments mark a significant escalation in legal scrutiny of one of Nigeria’s most politically influential former officials.
Security sources familiar with the matter told Dalena Reporters that the DSS believes the probe’s “complexity and scope” especially regarding alleged links between Malami’s actions and a controversial list of Nigerian terror financiers published by the United Arab Emirates in 2021 requires extended detention beyond the standard initial custody period.
“The investigation is likely going to take a long time. This is why we are working to get a court order on Wednesday to detain him further,” one source said, stressing that multiple strands of the inquiry are ongoing.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s chief law officer from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is already under intense examination over his handling of the UAE-released roster of alleged terrorism financiers including six Nigerian nationals linked to Boko Haram financing and the apparent lack of decisive action taken against them while he held office.
The allegations have reopened public debate about how Nigerian authorities have handled intelligence on terrorism financing, especially when shared by foreign governments, and whether prosecutorial inaction allowed suspected financiers to operate with impunity a charge Malami consistently rejected while in office, insisting that Nigeria would not shield anyone with terrorism links.
The DSS reportedly has also reviewed petitions accusing Malami of terrorism-related conduct and is poring over documentation from multiple sources, though the secret police have provided few specifics to the public. Sources say the department views the matter as too complex to conclude within the usual custody timelines and therefore seeks a formal judicial order to continue holding him until key questions are resolved.
Malami’s confrontation with the DSS comes in the wider context of his ongoing money laundering trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he, his wife and son face 16-count charges alleging concealment of proceeds worth roughly ₦8.7 billion via corporate structures and real estate transactions. He was granted ₦500 million bail each for himself, his spouse and their son by Justice Emeka Nwite, with stringent conditions including sureties and travel restrictions.
Earlier this week, Malami was reportedly arrested by DSS operatives immediately after being released from Kuje Correctional Centre, where he had been held pending bail formalities a move that sparked public attention and logistical confusion about custody authority. While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clarified that it did not re-arrest him, the DSS’s actions have highlighted escalating tensions between security agencies and Malami’s legal team.
Analysts say the push for a remand order underscores the seriousness with which Nigeria’s security establishment now views allegations of terrorism financing a crime that carries severe penalties under both national and international law especially in the aftermath of years of insurgency, bombings and mass kidnappings across Nigeria’s north.
Observers note that how the courts adjudicate this request could set a precedent for future accountability of senior officials accused of security-related misconduct, and may reverberate through Nigeria’s broader fight against terrorism and corruption.