“Tambuwal was with Malami yesterday to discuss the way forward,” said a source privy to the visit.
Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, visited former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC) on Saturday, in discussions reportedly focused on the way forward.
“Tambuwal was with Malami yesterday to discuss the way forward,” said a source privy to the visit.
Malami, who is currently being remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, is standing trial alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, over a 16-count charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami and the other defendants are accused of laundering a total sum of ₦8.7 billion.
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to Malami, and the two other defendants in the sum of ₦500 million each, with two sureties.
The court ruled that the sureties must own landed property in highbrow Abuja districts, including Asokoro, Maitama or Gwarinpa, and are required to deposit their travel documents with the court.
Justice Nwite further ordered that the property documents be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court, while the sureties must also swear to affidavits of means.
In addition, Malami was directed to submit his own travel documents to the court and was barred from leaving the country without prior permission of the court.
Earlier, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties linked to Malami.
Justice Nwite granted the order to the Federal Government following an ex-parte motion filed by EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, citing suspicions that the assets are proceeds of unlawful activity.
The multi-billion-naira real estate holdings are spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano, and Kaduna states.
Last Thursday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Malami had delayed the processing of his bail following the heavy deployment of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Kuje Prison.
SaharaReporters earlier on Thursday reported that Kuje Prison had been placed under a heavy security blanket as over 50 DSS operatives took up strategic positions around the facility beginning Wednesday.
According to sources, the secret police arrived in a convoy of approximately six Toyota Hilux vans.
The operatives established a perimeter around the prison gates, monitoring all entries and exits with heightened scrutiny.
Sources described the deployment as a preemptive move to ensure that Malami, being held at the facility did not escape an investigation into terrorism financing, especially after he was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja in his N8.7 billion money laundering case on Wednesday.
According to sources familiar with the development, Malami, therefore, instructed his legal team to slow down the bail process amid fears that DSS operatives were prepared to rearrest him immediately upon his release in connection with an ongoing investigation linked to alleged terrorism financing.
SaharaReporters learnt that the former Attorney General has remained inside the facility’s VIP segregation cell, a section of the prison reportedly refurbished by former police intelligence chief, Abba Kyari. The cell has in the past housed other high-profile detainees.
“Malami has remained holed up in the VIP segregation cell that was refurbished by the disgraced super cop Abba Kyari and recently hosted Prince Emmanuel Kanu, younger brother of imprisoned IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) leader, Nnamdi Kanu,” one of the sources said.
He remains in the facility’s VIP cell pending a resolution of the standoff with security agencies.
On Friday, SaharaReporters reported that a whistleblower, John Kpurhe, had accused Malami, alongside senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice and a private businessman, of diverting $1,034,515,050 (over $1.03 billion) belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria through a cloned bank account linked to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Those named in the petition include Alhaja Ladidi B. Muhammed, a senior official in the Asset Recovery Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice; Barrister Buni, identified as a confidential secretary; and Alhassan Dantata, Chairman/CEO of Crescent House Limited.
The funds were allegedly lodged in a cloned account bearing Account Number 0013680344, said to be an NPA account maintained with Unity Bank Plc at NPA, 26/28 Marina, Lagos, and were allegedly used to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria.
How Whistleblower Reported Alleged Fraud
SaharaReporters gathered that Kpurhe, after allegedly uncovering the suspicious account and its contents, approached Malami directly while he was Attorney General of the Federation to disclose what he described as vital information about the cloned account and the huge funds it contained.
According to a petition to the EFCC from his lawyers, FritzAbbey Solicitors & Advocates, upon being briefed and allegedly satisfied with the information presented, Malami directed the Head of the Asset Recovery Unit in the Ministry of Justice, Alhaja Ladidi B. Muhammed, to take steps to recover the funds.
Following this directive, Kpurhe wrote a formal information letter dated June 11, 2018, detailing the alleged loot.
SaharaReporters learnt that the letter was submitted to Alhaja Ladidi B. Muhammed for necessary action, in line with Malami’s alleged instruction.
An agreement dated June 22, 2018, was subsequently signed on Kpurhe’s behalf by his lawyer, Barrister Mamma, while the then-Attorney General of the Federation represented the Federal Ministry of Justice, according to petition.
Change Of Officer In Charge At Kuje
Top sources privy to the visit told SaharaReporters that the visit by Tambuwal, the Senator representing Sokoto South district in the 10th National Assembly, coincides with a change in leadership at the facility, as DCC R.A. Ogundare has been appointed the new Officer in Charge (OC) of Kuje Correctional Centre. He succeeds DCC Juta Mohammed, who has now been reassigned as the State Controller of Zamfara.
Prior to his deployment to Kuje, DCC Ogundare served as the Officer in Charge of MSSC Yenagoa in Bayelsa State.
