Ex-Buhari Minister Malami Rejects Allegations Of Terrorism Funding

Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, has strongly denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing, following a report by SaharaReporters that named him among Nigerians allegedly connected to terror financiers.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The report, released on Friday, claimed that two suspects arrested in a counter-terrorism investigation had “links” to Malami and other prominent Nigerians.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), rejected any involvement in terrorism financing, emphasizing that neither Nigerian nor international authorities have ever accused, investigated, or charged him in connection with such crimes.

He stated, “My attention has been drawn to a recent publication mentioning my name in connection with alleged terrorism financing. I wish to make it clear that I have never been accused, summoned, interrogated, investigated, or charged by any security, law enforcement, regulatory, or intelligence agency, either in Nigeria or abroad, regarding terrorism financing or related offenses.

“Moreover, the retired military officer cited as the source in the report explicitly clarified that he was not accusing me or the other individuals of financing terrorism. His statements only referred to vague ‘business’ or ‘institutional’ relationships, which the report misrepresented, creating misleading impressions that have been exploited by political opponents.

“Terrorism financing is a grave crime. Any claim suggesting my involvement must be based on verifiable evidence and lawful findings, not conjecture, speculation, or guilt by association. To insinuate that legitimate professional or institutional engagements equate to terrorism financing is both misleading and unjust.

“My public record contradicts any claims of complicity. As AGF and Minister of Justice, I strengthened Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework against money laundering and terrorism financing. This included establishing the independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to meet global standards, supporting the enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and implementing the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, to enhance the legal framework against terrorism financing in line with international obligations.

“My office cooperated with domestic institutions, including the NFIU, Central Bank of Nigeria, law enforcement, and international partners, to improve coordination, information-sharing, and compliance in the anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing architecture.”