A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, to February 27, 2026.
The adjournment was granted on Friday by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik following a public holiday declared in the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the area council elections scheduled for Saturday. The holiday was declared by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, resulting in limited court activities across the territory.
The case, filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) against Malami and his son, could not proceed as scheduled due to the work-free day. A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Court 6 on the third floor of the Federal High Court complex around 9:00 a.m. showed that only a few court officials were present, with no lawyers or litigants in attendance, including the defendants.
It was gathered that some lawyers and litigants who arrived at the court premises were turned back as a result of the public holiday. The DSS had earlier, on February 3, arraigned Malami and Abdulaziz on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were reportedly forwarded to him during his tenure as Attorney-General of the Federation. Both defendants are further accused of illegally warehousing firearms at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, without lawful authority.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following their plea, the prosecuting counsel, Calistus Eze, applied for their remand in DSS custody and requested a trial date. However, the defence counsel, Shuaibu Aruwan, SAN, orally applied for bail, arguing that the defendants had been in DSS custody for over two weeks.
Justice Abdulmalik rejected the oral bail application, stressing that the court is a court of record, and directed the defence to file a formal bail application.
