Ex-Army Chief Faruk Yahaya Drags Ali-Keffi To Court For ₦1.5B Defamation

Retired Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, former Chief of Army Staff, has filed a ₦1.5 billion defamation lawsuit against Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi (rtd) and several media organizations.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The suit was lodged at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following the expiry of formal demand notices sent to the defendants.

Gen. Yahaya had initially requested public retractions, apologies, and an end to the dissemination of statements he claimed damaged his reputation.

According to Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman (rtd), former Director of Army Public Relations, the lawsuit also seeks an additional ₦600 million in damages over reports linking Gen. Yahaya to terrorism financing, illegal mining, and banditry.

Court documents indicate that the defendants have been formally served and are expected to respond in line with court procedures.

The case arises from Ali-Keffi’s allegations that Gen. Yahaya had connections to terrorism financiers—claims the retired Army Chief has consistently denied, calling them false and defamatory.

Through his lawyer, Mohammed Ndayako SAN, Gen. Yahaya had given the defendants 72 hours from December 17, 2025, to retract the statements and issue public apologies. Their failure to comply prompted the lawsuit.

Gen. Yahaya asserted that Ali-Keffi acted out of personal grievances stemming from previous military disciplinary matters and emphasized that the allegations were entirely baseless and intended to tarnish his reputation.

He further affirmed that, throughout his military career, including his tenure as Chief of Army Staff, he had no involvement in terrorism financing or any activity undermining national security.

Gen. Yahaya reiterated his commitment to upholding the law, accountability, and professional service, stressing that defamatory claims driven by personal motives would be challenged in court.