By Abubakar Yunusa
The Department of State Services has been accused of deliberately frustrating the constitutional right to fair hearing and effective legal defence of a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The allegation was made on Saturday by Mohammed Bello Doka, Special Assistant on Media to Malami, in a statement obtained by People’s Daily .
Doka expressed concern over what he described as coordinated actions by security agencies aimed at undermining court orders and due process.
He said following charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Federal High Court granted Malami bail.
However, he alleged that the EFCC delayed submitting Malami’s international passports to the court for about one week, despite the documents being central to the perfection of bail.
According to him, the delay unnecessarily prolonged Malami’s detention and obstructed the execution of a valid court order.
Doka said shortly after Malami perfected his bail and was released from Kuje Custodial Centre, he was rearrested by operatives of the DSS.
He alleged that Malami was detained for five days without access to his lawyers or family and was only allowed to meet his legal team on Friday after what he described as prolonged isolation.
The media aide said the detention coincided with a critical period when Malami was required to prepare his defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture proceeding before the Federal High Court.
He added that denying him access to counsel at such a time impaired his ability to consult and give instructions, amounting to a violation of due process.
Doka further alleged a pattern in which arrest precedes investigation, with evidence sought after detention, describing the approach as a breach of the rule of law.
He warned that bail granted by a court must not be rendered meaningless through delays, rearrests or denial of legal access.
Doka said Malami was ready to defend himself in court and called on state institutions to respect court orders, constitutional guarantees and the rule of law.
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