Tension at Federal High Court as EFCC, NCoS Clash During Malami Trial

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) engaged in a heated confrontation on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja during proceedings related to the trial of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

The dispute centered on which agency should assume responsibility for security arrangements during the court session. The disagreement occurred at the court premises and briefly disrupted access to the building.

On December 30, the court ordered Malami to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application scheduled for January 2.

Witnesses said the argument between officials of both agencies escalated, with threats exchanged over control of security at the court entrance before the situation was eventually brought under control.

As of the time of reporting, journalists seeking access to the court were subjected to clearance by both EFCC and NCoS officials. Some reporters were denied entry into the courtroom, with officials citing limited space as the reason.

Court proceedings later continued under tightened security.