Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has paid a solidarity visit to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, while calling for the release of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Atiku disclosed this in a post shared via his verified X handle on Monday, noting that the visit came shortly after his return to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia, where he performed the lesser Hajj (Umrah).
“I led a delegation on a solidarity visit to the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, following my return to the country on Saturday night from Umrah,” he wrote.
During the visit, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party urged authorities to release El-Rufai and others he described as political detainees.
“I wish to serve notice to the authorities detaining former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and all other political detainees to release them henceforth,” Atiku said.
He stressed that detention should not be influenced by political differences.
“No one should be detained simply because they do not share the same ideology or political platform with the government of the day,” he added.
However, Atiku did not provide further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the alleged detention of El-Rufai and others.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Malami is currently facing ongoing legal proceedings over allegations including terrorism financing, illegal possession of firearms, as well as an N8.7 billion fraud and money laundering case.
The trial continued last Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where prosecution witnesses—including compliance officers from Union Bank and Access Bank—testified on financial transactions linked to accounts associated with Meethaq Hotels Ltd, Rayhaan Bustan, and other entities.
When the matter was called, Malami and his wife were present in court, while their son joined them shortly before proceedings were briefly adjourned.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted several documents as exhibits, including bank statements and official correspondence, as the case progressed.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 20 for continuation of trial.