Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has raised concerns over what his office described as deliberate attempts by security agencies to frustrate his constitutional right to fair hearing and effective legal defence.
Malami’s office accused the Department of State Services,
DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of engaging in
actions that allegedly undermined a valid court order and obstructed his legal
preparations in an ongoing interim forfeiture case.
In a statement issued by Mohammed Bello Doka, Special
Assistant on Media to Malami, the office alleged that the EFCC delayed the
submission of Malami’s international passports to the Federal High Court for
about one week, despite the documents being a key condition for the perfection
of his bail.
According to the statement, the delay prolonged Malami’s
detention unnecessarily and hindered the execution of the court’s bail order.
The statement further claimed that shortly after Malami
perfected his bail and was released from the Kuje Custodial Centre, he was
rearrested by the DSS and detained for five days without access to his lawyers
or family.
Doka alleged that Malami was only allowed to meet his legal
team on Friday after what the office described as prolonged isolation and
violations of his fundamental rights.
He explained that the detention occurred at a critical
period when he was required to prepare his defence in an EFCC interim
forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court, stressing that denying him
access to counsel impaired his ability to consult and give instructions.
“The sequence of events suggests a pattern where arrest
precedes investigation, with evidence sought after detention,” Doka alleged.
He warned that such practices undermine the authority of the
judiciary and pose a serious threat to the rule of law.
“The Office stresses that bail granted by a court must have
meaning.
No agency should be permitted to neutralise judicial orders
through coordinated delays, rearrests, or denial of access to legal
representation,” the statement read.
The office maintained that Malami remains ready to defend
himself in court and called on state institutions to respect court orders,
constitutional guarantees and the rule of law.
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