By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has upheld the continued detention of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Babangida Hassan dismissed Malami’s application seeking bail from the custody of the anti-graft agency, ruling that his detention was lawful.

The decision was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.

According to the statement, Malami, through his counsel, Mr Sulaiman Hassan (SAN), had approached the court to challenge his detention by the EFCC, arguing that it was illegal as it arose from an ongoing investigation.

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However, counsel for the EFCC, Mr J.S. Okutepa (SAN), told the court that the former minister was being held pursuant to a valid remand order issued by the FCT High Court and granted by Justice S. C. Oriji.

“In his ruling, Justice Hassan held, quoting Section 35 of the Constitution, that since there was a provision in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, for detention, Malami was lawfully detained by the Remand Order of the court.

“Asking this court to grant this application is tantamount to inviting the court to sit as an appellate court over an application made by a court of coordinate jurisdiction, which the court has no power to do,” Oyewale quoted the judge as saying.

Malami has been in EFCC custody since December 8, after he reportedly failed to meet the bail conditions set by the commission.

The former Attorney-General is being investigated over 18 alleged offences, including abuse of office and terrorism financing.

Kano First Commends Government, Peace-Loving Citizens for Tackling Ganduje’s Independent Hisbah

Kano First has commended the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf for responding maturely to the unpatriotic effort made by former Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to establish an independent Hisbah.

In a statement issued by comrade Abdulkadir Balarabe of Kano First, he said the mature response of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has truly shown how the Governor is in charge of the affairs of Kano State.

He said that if not for the prompt response of Governor Yusuf, the proposal made by former Governor Ganduje would have resulted in chaos.

Comrade Abdulkadir Balarabe asked how someone like former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who ruled the state, could come up with a parallel independent Hisbah organization — a moral security organization — unless he was trying to challenge the authority of the state.

For Ganduje to come out and tell the public that he has abandoned the idea of establishing an independent Hisbah Fisabilillahi shows how mature the present Governor of Kano State is in handling the former Governor’s invitation to chaos.

Kano First further urged peace-loving citizens of Kano to continue to rally behind Governor Yusuf and avoid anything that could cause chaos in Kano State, like the effort made by former Governor Ganduje to challenge the authority of the Kano State Government.

They also thanked well-meaning individuals, including some elders in Kano, for not backing former Governor Ganduje’s ill-advised intention to set up a parallel Hisbah group in Kano.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A delegation led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has successfully secured the release of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel detained in Burkina Faso.

The soldiers were detained after their aircraft conducted a precautionary landing at the nearest airfield in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The NAF stated the landing was due to an observed technical concern and was carried out in full compliance with standard safety and international aviation protocols.

The Burkinabé government, however, had initially described the unscheduled arrival as a breach of its sovereignty.

At the request of President Bola Tinubu, Minister Tuggar’s delegation met with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. According to a statement from the minister’s spokesperson, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the issue was “amicably resolved” following discussions.

The talks extended beyond the immediate incident, serving as a diplomatic channel to reaffirm ties. Abdulkadir noted that Tuggar conveyed a message of “solidarity and fraternity” from President Tinubu. Both parties discussed enhancing bilateral relations and regional integration, with a focus on coordinated political, security, and economic cooperation—particularly in addressing shared regional security challenges.

“Both sides agreed to sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration, reflecting a shared resolve to promote peace, unity, and stability in the sub-region,” the statement read.

The Nigerian delegation included high-ranking officials such as the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed; the NAF Chief of Policy and Plans, A.Y. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Olawale Awe; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Chief of Protocol, Wahab Akande.