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Alleged Terror Financing Saga Toughs Up: Abubakar Malami faces long detention as DSS intensifies investigation

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Former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), might spend a longer time in the custody of the Department of State Services, The PUNCH has learnt.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Multiple security sources reported that Malami faces prolonged detention, as the DSS is already working to obtain a court order to keep him in custody until the investigations are concluded.

Malami’s latest ordeal began on Monday when DSS operatives took him into custody shortly after he perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. His arrest came barely minutes after he stepped out of the facility, where he had been detained since early December over allegations brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Security sources indicate that the DSS is seeking a court order to prolong his detention, citing the sensitive and complex nature of the investigations, which are expected to take months.

The former AGF had initially been arrested by the EFCC following allegations that he conspired with his wife, Asabe, and their son to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities valued at about N8.7bn. According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences involved the use of multiple corporate entities, bank accounts, and high-value real estate transactions in Abuja and other parts of the country.

The trio was arraigned on December 29, 2025, before a Federal High Court in Abuja on 16 counts bordering on money laundering and conspiracy. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Before their arraignment, Malami had been unable to meet the bail conditions earlier granted him, leading to his continued detention from December 8. On December 18, a Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Babangida Hassan, upheld his detention, ruling that it was lawful under the circumstances. It was not until January 7 that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court granted Malami, his wife and son bail in the sum of N500m each, with stringent conditions.

In the charges preferred against them, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities through multiple corporate entities, bank accounts and high-value real estate transactions in Abuja and other parts of the country to the tune of N8.7bn. They pleaded not guilty to the 16 charges.

However, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 7 granted Malami, his wife and son bail in the sum of N500 million each.

Justice Nwite ordered that each defendant produce two sureties with verifiable landed property within Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarimpa areas of Abuja.

The court also directed that the title documents of the properties be deposited with the court for verification by the Deputy Chief Registrar, while the sureties were to depose to affidavits of means.

Twelve days after he was granted bail, Malami perfected his bail and was leaving the correctional centre when the DSS picked him up.

The PUNCH gathered that the ex-AGF might not be released anytime soon, as investigations may take months.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Malami is being grilled over his handling of the list of Nigerian terror financiers released by the United Arab Emirates.

A source familiar with the matter told The PUNCH, “The investigation is likely going to take a long time. This is why we are working to get a court order on Wednesday (today) to detain him further.

“There are several issues he is being questioned on. One of them is the handling of the terrorism financiers list released by the UAE in 2021 and some terror financiers during his term as the AGF. So, this investigation will take a very long time. I am not sure he will be released anytime soon.”

In 2021, authorities in the United Arab Emirates named six Nigerians with ties to the insurgent group, Boko Haram, as terrorist financiers.

The UAE Cabinet issued Resolution No. 83 of 2021, designating a total of 38 individuals and 15 entities on its approved list of persons and organisations supporting Boko Haram and other terrorist causes.

The individuals listed by the UAE authorities included Abdurrahaman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad. At the time, the release of the list sparked widespread controversy within Nigeria, raising questions about how suspected terror financiers were able to operate within the country and whether Nigerian authorities had acted decisively on intelligence shared by foreign governments.

Ironically, Malami had, during his tenure as Attorney General, repeatedly vowed that the government would not shield any individual linked to terrorism or its financing. He publicly maintained that no matter how highly placed, anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in line with the law. Investigators are said to be revisiting those declarations in the light of the allegations now levelled against him.

Political analysts note that Malami’s case reflects a broader pattern of post-tenure scrutiny of former top officials, particularly those who wielded enormous influence during the Muhammadu Buhari administration. As AGF and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023, Malami was involved in several high-profile cases, including asset recoveries, prosecutions of corruption suspects, and controversial legal opinions that often generated public debate.

Another source said Malami is also being questioned over an arms cache allegedly found in his Kebbi home, as well as terrorism and terrorism financing petitions against him.

“He will also be probed on the arms cache found in his Kebbi home. Beyond this, there are several petitions against him bordering on alleged terrorism financing. Terrorism and terrorism financing are serious offences globally. You’ll recall that when Abubakar Malami, SAN, was the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, he vowed that the government of the day would not shield any person or persons linked to terrorism or terrorism financing.

“No responsible government would, in the same vein, fold its hands or turn a blind eye to weighty allegations of terrorism financing levelled against any individual, no matter how highly placed, in this case, Malami, SAN.

“In the course of investigations, we have what is called inter-agency cooperation. It is not uncommon for one security agency to hand over a person under investigation to another sister security agency. In Nigeria, the DSS is the sole security agency tasked with the responsibility of investigating such allegations. It’ll be best to allow them do their job,” the source said.

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Oyo police intercepts truck conveuing explosives in Saki

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The Oyo State Police Command has announced an operational success recorded following an intelligence-led operation.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command intercepted a truck conveying materials suspected to be explosive devices during a stop-and-search operation in Saki, Oyo State. The truck and the suspected materials were promptly secured and are currently in police custody.

Upon receiving a briefing on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Femi Haruna, immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Consequently, specialised personnel of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit were deployed to safely secure the items for safekeeping and forensic examination. Detailed forensic analysis has since commenced, alongside a thorough and robust investigation to determine the exact nature of the items and their intended use.

The truck driver has been taken into custody and is cooperating fully with investigators as efforts continue to unravel all the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Commissioner of Police commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his unwavering support, strategic leadership, and continued provision of operational guidance that enhance proactive, intelligence-driven policing across the country.

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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940

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Benue: Armed bandits kill motorcyclist, injure woman in Apa LGA

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One person has died and another sustained injuries following an assault by suspected armed bandits in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

According to sources, the attack took place on January 24 around 4:00 p.m. along the Amoke–Odugbo road in Ukpogo Village, Edikwu Ward.

The victims, identified as Mr Joseph Okoh and Miss Aneh Sunday, both from Ogodumo, Adoka in Otukpo LGA, were reportedly riding a motorcycle when the assailants struck.

“They were rushed to the Comprehensive Health Centre, Ugbokpo, where Mr Okoh was confirmed dead while receiving treatment. Miss Sunday is currently admitted and responding to treatment,” the source stated.

Nigerian troops were quickly deployed to the area, and a search operation in the surrounding bushes is ongoing to apprehend the attackers.

“The Criminal Investigation Department has commenced an investigation into the incident,” the source added.

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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940

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2026 UTME: JAMB scraps special privileges for albino candidates over malpractices

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has scrapped special concessions and registration procedures previously granted to candidates with albinism for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, citing abuse of the privilege to perpetrate examination malpractice.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Board also warned faith-based tertiary institutions to clearly declare their religious status at the point of admission, saying it is deceptive to present as secular and later impose religious rules on students.

As reported by Vanguard, these decisions were taken on Saturday at a meeting between JAMB management, led by its Registrar, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, and Commissioners for Education from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

Oloyede said the meeting was convened to review and assess previous admission exercises.

He noted that despite safeguards introduced by the Board, some individuals remained determined to circumvent the system.

“We have stopped some concessions we gave albino candidates. This is because some are using artificial intelligence to manipulate the registration process to look like they are albinos because of the consideration we gave them.

“Last year alone, over 7,000 claimed to be albinos. We have stopped special registration procedures for albinos,” he said.

Addressing complaints from candidates admitted into some private institutions over compulsory religious instruction, Oloyede urged faith-based schools to be transparent.

“Faith-based institutions should declare from the onset what they are, so that whoever applies there will know what he is going to meet there. But some don’t do that. They will pretend to be secular, but once students are admitted, trouble will begin over religious instruction and injunctions.

“If you are a faith-based institution, say so. The law allows you to set up faith-based schools,” he said.

On last year’s UTME, where the highest-scoring candidate was later found to be a 300-level university student, the JAMB registrar said investigations showed that some undergraduates sit for the examination to change courses or assist others to secure admission.

“Students who are already in school but want to change courses and are applying again must declare and disclose their status.

“We have found that some candidates already in school are writing the examination for other candidates. Last year, the candidate who scored the highest was found to be a 300-level student in the university.

“Henceforth, any candidate found engaging in such an act, and who fails to disclose that he is already in school but wants to change course, will be disqualified and will also lose his current admission,” he said.

On admission criteria, Oloyede explained that federal government-owned institutions allocate 45 per cent on merit, 20 per cent on catchment area, 20 per cent to educationally disadvantaged states, while the remaining slots are allocated to other considerations.

“Each owner or state has the right to decide what its admission criteria will be. But for states, we encourage them to allocate at least 10 per cent to merit, regardless of where the candidates come from.

“This is to diversify the student population and admit eggheads from different communities,” he said.

He criticised some states for establishing new universities despite not fully utilising their admission quotas in existing federal institutions.

On underage candidates, Oloyede said 16 years remained the minimum admission age, noting that an attestation process was in place for exceptional cases.

“Last year, about 42,000 claimed to be underage. After evaluation, only 78 met the criteria and were admitted. We are not saying there are no talented candidates, but the figure looks outlandish,” he said.

The issue of how to engage underage candidates during a gap year divided opinions at the meeting, but a majority voted for JAMB to continue its special assessment process.

The meeting also observed that parental pressure on children to complete their education too quickly was a major contributor to the problem.

On efforts to curb examination malpractice, Oloyede said JAMB had stopped the movement of computers between Computer-Based Test centres.

“A computer registered in a particular centre will remain there and is not transferable to another centre. Some people borrow computers to get accredited and later move them around,” he said.

He dismissed claims that candidates were posted to towns they did not choose, saying personal data used for registration were drawn directly from the National Identification Number submitted by candidates.

Providing an update on the 2025 UTME, Oloyede said 974,855 candidates had so far been admitted out of about 1.95 million who sat for the examination.

He added that over N2.4 billion had been disbursed to institutions that consistently complied with JAMB’s rules over the past 10 years, and that the meeting agreed that schools producing the best candidates should be compensated.

On accreditation of CBT centres, Oloyede said the process involved teams comprising university vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts in each state.

He warned state governments against agreements with private promoters who might use centres to facilitate malpractice.

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Art & Commercial students don’t fail JAMB because they’re dull. They fail because they’re taught like Science students. Science students calculate — JAMB rewards that. Art students explain — JAMB doesn’t. So you read hard, attend lessons, yet your score disappoints you. This online class fixes that. No theory overload. No confusion. Just real JAMB questions, clear breakdowns, and winning strategies. 📌 JAMB is not hard — you were just taught the wrong way.Click The Link To Reach Us Now 👉 https://wa.me/2349063958940

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