A work-free day declared by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of Saturday’s area council elections disrupted the planned re-arraignment of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz, on a five-count charge relating to terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.
The re-arraignment, scheduled for Friday, February 20, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, was postponed after it became clear that court staff and other workers would not be on duty.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had secured the court from as early as 7:00 a.m., but by 9:00 a.m., when the defendants were due to appear before Justice Peter Lifu, it was confirmed that staff attendance would be minimal. As a result, the DSS shelved the arraignment.
It will be recalled that Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and his son had previously been arraigned before a vacation judge on the same charges.