By Aliyu Usman
The Bureau News | Nigeria News Today
Birnin Kebbi | January 24, 2025
The former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Chika Malami (SAN), has raised concerns over what he described as unlawful detention by the Department of State Services (DSS), alleging persistent denial of access to his legal team.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his associate, Bello Muhammed Doka, Malami was said to have been re-arrested by the DSS after meeting the bail conditions earlier granted to him by a court in connection with allegations bordering on interim asset forfeiture.
Doka described the development as troubling, insisting that the continued detention of the former minister without unhindered access to his lawyers violates constitutional provisions and due process.
“It is deeply worrisome and a clear abuse of his constitutional rights that his arrest appears to have preceded proper investigations, which negates established constitutional safeguards,” Doka said.
According to the statement, Malami has been in DSS custody for more than five days without being allowed to properly consult with his legal team or retrieve his international passport, which formed part of the bail conditions earlier granted by the court.
“We have raised the alarm over his detention by the DSS for over five days without granting him unhindered access to his legal team and without releasing his international passport, which is part of the bail conditions,” Doka stated.
Doka further alleged that the DSS adopted tactics similar to those previously employed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which he claimed delayed Malami’s access to bail and justice.
“The continued detention without access to his legal team, which was only granted briefly on Friday, suggests a pattern aimed at denying him speedy justice, despite bail having been granted by a competent court,” he said.
He urged the DSS to discontinue actions that restrict Malami’s constitutional right to prepare his defence and to release all necessary documents required for his legal representation.
“We believe the DSS is a responsible institution that upholds the rule of law and the principles of fair administration of justice, and we expect those standards to be applied in Malami’s case,” Doka added.
The statement warned that continued obstruction of access to legal counsel amounts to an infringement of fundamental human rights, including the right to a fair hearing as guaranteed under the Constitution.
The Bureau News reports that the matter has continued to generate legal and public interest amid growing concerns over due process and the treatment of detainees by security agencies.
