Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami denies allegations of terrorism financing, calls report misleading

Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami denies allegations of terrorism financing, calls report misleading

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has dismissed reports linking him to terrorism financing, describing the claims as a “vague assertion” politically manipulated to tarnish his reputation.

In a statement on Saturday, Malami addressed a publication by SaharaReporters on December 5 titled: “Terror Suspects, Alleged Financiers Were Linked To Powerful Nigerians Including Ex-AGF Malami, Former Army Chiefs, Others – Maj. Gen. Ali-Keffi (Rtd).” The article suggested that investigations by Operation Service Wide (OSW), a multi-agency counter-terrorism task force, had linked him and other prominent Nigerians to terror suspects.

The allegations were reportedly made by Major General Ali-Keffi (retd.), a former General Officer Commanding appointed in 2021 to lead OSW, which works with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to identify Boko Haram financiers.

Malami refuted the claims, stating that he has “never at any time been accused, invited, interrogated, investigated, or charged by any security, law-enforcement, regulatory or intelligence agency, within or outside Nigeria, in respect of terrorism financing or any related offence.” He emphasized that Ali-Keffi merely noted potential “business” or “institutional” links, which were misrepresented in the media headline.

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“That important clarification was unfortunately overshadowed by a headline and framing capable of misleading well-meaning members of the public… politically manipulated by my political opponents,” Malami said.

Highlighting his record, Malami noted his reforms in office, including the establishment of an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. He said these measures strengthened Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework and contributed to the country’s removal from the FATF grey list.

Malami warned the media to exercise caution when reporting on national security matters, emphasizing that engagement with diverse individuals is a normal part of public service and should not be misconstrued as evidence of wrongdoing.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and stated he reserves the right to seek legal redress against publications that misrepresent his role in Nigeria’s fight against money laundering and terrorism financing.

Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami denies allegations of terrorism financing, calls report misleading