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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has rejected allegations linking him to terrorism financing, describing the claims as unfounded, misleading, and driven by political motives.
Malami, who held office between 2015 and 2023 in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, faulted a recent publication which insinuated that he was named among alleged terror financiers, describing it as “mischievous, speculative, and damaging.”
According to him, at no time whether during or after his tenure has any local or international security or intelligence agency invited, investigated, accused, or charged him with terrorism financing or related crimes.
He further clarified that even the retired military officer whose comments were used as the basis for the report had publicly stated he did not accuse Malami or any individual of sponsoring terrorism. The former AGF accused the publication of burying this important clarification under a sensational headline, “deliberately weaponised by political actors to create false impressions.”
“Terrorism financing is a grave crime. Any attempt to link an individual to it must be grounded in verifiable facts, not conjecture or guilt by association,” he said.
Malami also defended his track record in office, stressing that he played a crucial role in enhancing Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks against money laundering and terrorism financing. He cited landmark reforms including the establishment of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as an autonomous body, and the passage of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, along with the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He noted that these interventions contributed significantly to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list after major improvements in the country’s compliance with global anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
“These independent international assessments contradict any suggestion that those driving such reforms were shielding or collaborating with terror financiers,” Malami added.
He criticised sensational media practices, warning that careless publications could undermine public confidence in national security institutions. Malami reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and stated that he reserves the right to seek legal remedy against any platform that distorts his public record or tarnishes his integrity.