FG drops terrorism financing charge against Malami

The Federal Government has amended the charges against former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami and his son Abdulaziz, dropping the terrorism financing allegation and retaining only the count bordering on illegal possession of firearms.

At a court session on Wednesday, Akinlolu Kehinde, counsel to the Department of State Services, informed the court of the amendment and applied to substitute the earlier charge with the revised one.

Shaibu Aruwa, counsel to the defendants, confirmed that his clients had been served with the amended charge and did not object to it being read to them. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.

Presiding judge Joyce Abdulmalik allowed the defendants to remain on the bail terms granted to them on February 27 and adjourned the case to May 26 and June 15 for trial.

The amended charge alleges that arms and live cartridges were found in Malami’s residence in Birnin Kebbi.

Malami and his son were first arraigned by the DSS on February 3 on a five-count charge that included terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms. The DSS had accused the former AGF of failing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were forwarded to his office for prosecution.

Both defendants were each granted bail of N200 million with two sureties in like sum at the February 27 hearing.