ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a dramatic legal reprieve that has sent shockwaves through the capital, a Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz, following their arraignment on grave charges related to the alleged financing of terrorism.
The ruling, delivered on Friday, February 27, 2026, marks the first major turn in a case that has come to symbolise the deepening political and legal fractures within the Nigerian state.
The Conditions of Freedom
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, set the bail at ₦200 million each, imposing a set of stringent conditions designed to ensure the defendants do not flee the country.
- Sureties: Both Malami and his son are required to produce two sureties each in like sum.
- Prime Property Requirement: In a move highlighting the gravity of the case, the court held that one of the sureties for each defendant must provide the title deed of a developed property situated in the high-brow districts of Asokoro or Maitama, Abuja.
- Travel Restrictions: The defendants were directed to deposit their international passports with the court registrar immediately.
A Selective Justice?
The bail ruling coincides with explosive allegations from opposition figures regarding the “weaponisation” of state institutions. Buba Galadima recently challenged the APC-led administration, asking why the government is targeting Malami and Nasir El-Rufai—the latter of whom remains in custody for allegedly tapping the phone of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu—while others in the current cabinet remain untouched.
“You don’t know that Malami is in prison?” Galadima remarked earlier this week. “Which of these people in the APC can swear they haven’t done worse?”
Terror and the “Regency” Narrative
The “terrorism financing” charges against the former AGF come at a time of severe national insecurity:
- The Northern Siege: As Malami secures his bail, the North-West is reeling from Lakurawa mosque massacres in Kebbi, and Governor Bala Mohammed is sounding the alarm over 10,000 armed bandits in Bauchi.
- The Shadow Government: Critics like Mike Arnold and Ralph Nwosu continue to describe the current administration as a “shadow regency”, managed by Ribadu and the First Lady while the President manages his health through secret Paris trips.
The 30-Governor Supermajority
The legal reprieve for Malami also coincides with a massive political realignment. The defection of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the APC has given the ruling party a 30-governor supermajority, a move that Prof. Itse Sagay SAN suggests may make the abuse of state power—including the proposed State Police—even more likely.
As Malami’s legal team works to meet the ₦400 million total bail bond, the nation remains divided. For some, the trial is a necessary purge of the previous era; for others, it is a political theatre intended to distract from a $347 million humanitarian shortfall and a starving population of 150 million.
