Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) on Monday took former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, back into custody barely minutes after his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.
Mr Malami had just been discharged from prison after fulfilling bail conditions imposed by a Federal High Court in an ongoing N8.7 billion money laundering case when he was intercepted by security operatives at the facility’s exit.
Sources said the fresh arrest was connected to an arms-related investigation following the discovery of weapons at Mr Malami’s residence in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, during raids conducted in December.
A viral video circulating online captured the tense moment the former minister was escorted toward a black pickup truck parked outside the prison.
In the footage, Mr Malami was seen briefly questioning the identity of the operatives, asking to know their superior and requesting identification, before eventually entering the vehicle.
The Cable later quoted the SSS as confirming that its operatives carried out the arrest.
Monday’s development followed reports that SSS operatives had maintained a sustained presence around the Kuje facility for weeks, anticipating Mr Malami’s release.
The former minister, his wife, Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz, had been remanded at the prison over the money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On 7 January, Mr Malami’s aide, Mohammed Doka, publicly raised concerns about a planned re-arrest in a statement posted on the former AGF’s Facebook page.
The statement warned that security agencies intended to take Mr Malami back into custody immediately after his release, despite a valid court-granted bail.
The statement described the move as a threat to due process and the rule of law, insisting that the allegations prompting the anticipated arrest were “trumped-up.”
Media reports also suggested that Mr Malami had delayed perfecting his bail conditions in an effort to avoid being re-arrested by the SSS over the arms investigation and alleged terrorism financing links.
Investigations revealed that the EFCC, while probing the alleged money laundering case, raided Mr Malami’s properties in Abuja, Kano and Birnin-Kebbi in December. During one of the operations, arms were reportedly recovered from his Kebbi residence.
Given that arms-related offences fall outside the EFCC’s statutory mandate, the anti-graft agency reportedly transferred the recovered weapons to the SSS for further investigation, paving the way for Monday’s arrest.
Mr Malami’s latest arrest marks the third phase of his detention since early December 2025.
He was first held by the EFCC from 8 December until 30 December, when he was arraigned and subsequently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Although the Federal High Court granted him bail on 7 January, his release on Monday was immediately followed by his re-arrest by the SSS.
His wife and son, who were also charged in the money laundering case, had spent over two weeks in custody before their arraignment, having initially been detained by the EFCC between 23 and 30 December.
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Mr Malami, who served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, is facing 16 counts of money laundering alongside his wife and son.
The charges involve allegations of unlawful retention of proceeds of crime and the acquisition of assets valued at about N8.7 billion.
At the arraignment hearing, the trial judge also ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to the former minister and suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The assets, reportedly acquired during and shortly after Mr Malami’s tenure in office, were valued at over N212 billion.
As of Monday night, the SSS had not issued a detailed public statement on the status of its investigation or the duration of Mr Malami’s renewed detention.