By By Elizabeth Ugbo
Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in Abuja to a five-count amended charge filed by the Federal Government over alleged illegal firearm possession and terrorism-related offences, following their arraignment by the Department of State Services.
Court Replaces Earlier Charges with Amended Version
During the resumed hearing, prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, presented an amended charge dated April 14, 2026. He urged the court to replace the earlier February charge.
Defence counsel, Shaibu Arua, confirmed receipt of the new charge. Consequently, the court struck out the earlier case and discharged the defendants on that count.
The judge then ordered the fresh charges to be read. Both defendants again pleaded not guilty.
Details of the Allegations
The Federal Government accused the defendants of possessing firearms and ammunition without a licence. Prosecutors linked the items to alleged terrorism preparation.
Authorities listed the items as:
- Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm
- 16 Redstar AAA 5’20 live cartridges
- 27 expended cartridges
Prosecutors said the alleged offences violate the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and the Firearms Act.
Charges Filed Against Malami and Son
The amended charge includes five counts:
First, the defendants allegedly prepared for terrorism by possessing firearms illegally.
Second, prosecutors accused them of conspiracy to commit terrorism-related acts.
Third, they allegedly possessed a firearm without a licence.
Fourth, authorities accused them of holding live ammunition unlawfully.
Fifth, they allegedly kept expended cartridges without legal authorisation.
Court Upholds Bail, Fixes Trial Dates
After the plea, the prosecution asked the court to set a trial date. However, the defence requested that the court maintain the earlier bail conditions.
The prosecution did not oppose the request. Therefore, Justice Abdulmalik allowed the defendants to continue on bail.
The court fixed May 26 and June 16, 2026, for trial.
Earlier Allegations and Legal Background
The DSS first arraigned the defendants on February 3, 2026. The initial charges included terrorism financing and aiding terrorism.
Authorities also accused Malami of failing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers while in office.
However, the amended charge now focuses mainly on illegal possession of firearms and related offences.
