A viral video circulating on social media claims that the Malami is seen celebrated by a massive crowd in Birnin Kebbi following his release from detention.
The post alleges that the footage shows Malami’s first visit to his state after his release.
A verified X user, @LadanSalihu1 shared the footage on April 7, 2026, with the caption:
“Malami displays capacity in Birnin Kebbi. His 1st visit after release from detention.”
As of April 8, the post has garnered over 110,000 views, 2,000 likes and 376 reposts. With doubts littering the comment section, and commenters doubt the credibility of the post.
READ: No, photo does not show Malami’s recent Umrah trip amid probe
CLAIM
The post claims that former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, was celebrated by a massive crowd in Birnin Kebbi following his release from detention.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
The video does not depict the arrival of Malami to his home state. Instead, the footage shows Major General Aminu Bande, the 2023 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for Kebbi State. All Fact Newspaper also shared the footage stating that the video was from Bande’s campaign held in 2023.
READ ALSO: Malami joins Nigerians to defy ban, access Twitter using VPN
The video recirculated because on April 6, 2026, Bande officially defected from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). This political move was widely reported by notable media outlets.
It was falsely attributed to Malami who was eyeing Kebbi governorship but currently facing money laundering charges. He was arraigned together with his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz in December 2025 by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The ICIR reported that Malami served as the AGF from 2015 to 2023 under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, where he was an influential figure in the cabinet and a central actor in several major legal and political decisions.
The crowd in the video was celebrating Bande, not Malami’s release.
VERDICT
The claim that the video shows Abubakar Malami being celebrated in Birnin Kebbi after his release from detention is MISLEADING. It is an old footage of Bande’s campaign, which went viral again following his recent defection to the ADC.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
