From chief law officer to security person of interest, Abubakar Malami’s fall from grace takes a dangerous turn with illegal arms allegations. REMMY NWEKE examines the legal storm surrounding the former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in this WeekendDigits@ITREALMS.
As January 2026 unfolds, the man who once defined the Buhari administration’s rule of law finds himself at the center of a widening investigation that has escalated from alleged financial crimes to grave national security concerns.
For months, Abubakar Malami has been battling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of massive money laundering. Yet, the narrative shifted violently this week following a raid on his Birnin Kebbi residence, thrusting the former "chief law officer" into the veritable eye of the storm.
Raid that changed the narrative:
What began as a pursuit of illicit financial flows by anti-graft agencies took a darker turn during a coordinated operation at Malami’s Kebbi stronghold. While EFCC operatives were scouring for evidence related to alleged unexplained wealth, security sources confirmed that a significant cache of prohibited firearms and ammunition was discovered within the premises.
What began as a pursuit of illicit financial flows by anti-graft agencies took a darker turn during a coordinated operation at Malami’s Kebbi stronghold. While EFCC operatives were scouring for evidence related to alleged unexplained wealth, security sources confirmed that a significant cache of prohibited firearms and ammunition was discovered within the premises.
The discovery immediately brought the Department of State Services (DSS) into the fray. The narrative instantly pivoted from "white-collar crime" to potential treason and sponsorship of violence.
Sources close to the investigation indicated that the DSS is now probing the origin of the weaponry, questioning why a private citizen, regardless of former status, would house an arsenal described by one security official as "sufficient to destabilize a local government area."
Before guns entered the picture, money was the central theme of Malami’s post-office tribulations.
The EFCC’s case, which has seen Malami and close associates enjoy guest status at the commission’s headquarters, revolves around staggering sums.
Investigators are scrutinizing an estimated ₦8.7 billion allegedly funneled through complex networks involving associates and family members.
The charges range from the alleged diversion of public funds meant for judgment debts to the acquisition of properties across Abuja, Kano, and Dubai whose values vastly exceed his legitimate lifetime earnings.
For some time, Malami’s legal team dismissed these as a "political witch-hunt" orchestrated by rivals he crossed while in office. However, the tangible reality of recovered firearms has made that defense significantly harder to sell to the public.
The Prosecutor Prosecuted: A Bitter Irony
The current predicament presents a jarring irony for observers of Nigeria’s judicial history. During his eight-year tenure as AGF, Malami was the face of the government’s crackdown on illegal arms proliferation. He presided over the prosecution of numerous syndicates involved in smuggling pump-action rifles through the country's ports.
Civil society organizations, including the Democracy Watch Initiative (DWI), have pointed out the disturbing contradiction of the nation's former chief prosecutor now facing questions about the very crimes he once vowed to eradicate.
The question now being asked in security circles is whether the alleged money laundering was merely a vehicle to fund darker enterprises involving armed militias in his home state.
Kebbi political dimension:
The storm is fiercest back home in Kebbi State. The arms discovery has added fuel to the long-standing political feud between Malami and the incumbent Governor, Nasir Idris.
For months, accusations and counter-accusations of sponsoring "political thugs" have flown between their respective camps. The Kebbi State APC caucus has seized upon the recent discovery, issuing statements demanding that Malami face the full weight of the law, arguing that his alleged actions have endangered the peace of the state he once sought to govern.
Digital Trail:
For the tech-savvy audience of WeekendDigits@ITREALMS, the Malami saga underscores the critical role of digital forensics in modern investigations.
The unraveling of Malami’s alleged empire did not begin with a whistleblower tip-off, but with data. EFCC forensic accountants have reportedly spent months mapping digital transaction footprints across multiple banks, connecting seemingly disparate accounts to the former AGF’s sphere of influence.
Furthermore, intelligence sources suggest that communication intercepts, digital chatter analyzed by security agencies, played a crucial role in pinpointing the location of the physical assets, including the weapons cache. The convergence of financial data analytics and signals intelligence has closed the net around one of the country's most powerful figures.
As the dual investigations by the EFCC and DSS converge, Abubakar Malami stands isolated in the eyes of a storm that shows no sign of abating.
The coming weeks will determine if the former AGF can navigate the legal tempest, or if he will become the highest-profile casualty of the very laws he once administered.
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