Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have rearrested Abdulaziz Malami, son of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja amid controversy over his attempted release on bail.
The development unfolded on Friday when court bailiffs from the Federal High Court arrived at Kuje Prison with fully processed bail documents to secure Abdulaziz’s release after a judicial decision that granted bail in the money laundering proceedings against him and his father. Sources within the correctional facility reported that Malami allegedly insisted on having his son quietly moved out of the prison without the usual formal exit procedures, a request that security officials deemed irregular and unacceptable. 
According to an insider familiar with the matter, the DSS had placed the prison under heightened surveillance following intelligence reports about efforts to facilitate an unorthodox release. Every vehicle leaving the facility was profiled and monitored, and Abdulaziz was intercepted and subsequently rearrested shortly after being handed over to those purportedly facilitating his exit. “This happened on Friday; bailiffs took the son from the Federal High Court, who brought fully processed bail papers, but Malami refused to leave, urging that they sneak his son out. But the DSS profiled every car leaving and rearrested his son,” the source said.
Abdulaziz’s legal entanglement traces back to late December 2025, when he, his father, and one of Malami’s wives, Bashir Asabe, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 16-count charge. The charges centre on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities totalling over ₦8.7 billion, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. 
Court filings obtained by journalists indicate that the EFCC alleges Malami and his son used corporate entities and complex banking transactions to conceal the origin and ownership of vast sums of money and high-value properties across Nigeria. The defendants have consistently pleaded not guilty to all counts, and the matter has since proceeded through preliminary bail applications and legal argument. 
Earlier this month, reports showed that Malami and his family had been temporarily granted bail on stringent conditions, including a high bail sum and sureties with substantial property holdings in major Abuja districts. However, separate security concerns, including reported investigations into terrorism financing allegations, have continued to complicate his ability to leave custody.
As at the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the DSS or the defence team addressing the specifics of the incident, though legal and security analysts expect further developments to emerge as the matter continues through the courts and related investigative channels.
Samuel Aina