Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has dismissed recent insinuations linking him to terrorism financing, describing them as baseless, misleading, and politically contrived.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s chief law officer from 2015 to 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari, said in a statement that a publication suggesting he was named among alleged terror sponsors was “mischievous, speculative, and damaging.”
He stressed that he had never at any time been accused, invited, investigated, or charged by any security or intelligence agency—locally or internationally—over terrorism financing or related offences.
According to him, even the retired military officer whose comments were cited in the report had clarified that he never accused Malami or any other named persons of sponsoring terrorism. Malami said this crucial clarification was buried beneath 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 stated.
Malami highlighted his role in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing framework, noting that his tenure saw key reforms such as the establishment of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as an independent entity, as well as the enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He noted that these measures contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, following improved compliance with global AML/CFT standards.
“These independent international assessments contradict any suggestion that those driving such reforms were shielding or collaborating with terror financiers,” he added.
Warns Against Sensational Reporting
Malami cautioned the media against publishing reports capable of eroding public confidence in national security institutions. He also reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and said he reserves the right to pursue legal redress against publications that distort his record or impugn his integrity.
Malami Rejects Terror-Financing Allegations, Calls Claims Politically Motivated
