Election Holiday Halts Trial of Ex-AGF Malami A public holiday in the Federal Capital Territory has put the brakes on the trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz. The holiday, declared by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has temporarily stalled the court proceedings, which were scheduled to take place on February 16. At the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the trial was supposed to hold, only a handful of court officials were present on the day the trial was supposed to commence. The courtroom was unusually quiet, with no sign of the defendants or their counsel. It turned out that the holiday declared by the FCT Administration had left many lawyers and litigants without anything to do, forcing them to leave the court premises. Malami and his son are facing charges of terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms, which were brought against them by the Department of State Services. The DSS had accused Malami of failing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers while he was in office, and of storing firearms at his residence without authorization. The defendants had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. When the trial was initially adjourned, the prosecution had asked the court to remand the defendants in DSS custody until the next hearing date. However, the defence counsel made an oral application for bail, arguing that the defendants had been in custody for over two weeks. Unfortunately, the request was turned down because the court required a formal bail application. The trial has now been adjourned until February 27, when proceedings are expected to resume. The case has sparked a lot of interest, not just because of the high-profile nature of the accused, but also because of the implications for national security and the rule of law. As the trial unfolds, Nigerians will be watching closely to see how it all plays out. In conclusion, the election holiday has created a temporary setback in the trial of Malami and his son, but it is clear that the court will not be intimidated or deterred from doing its job. With the next hearing date fast approaching, Nigerians can expect to hear more about this high-profile case in the days to come.