Malami Breaks Silence, Dismisses Claims Tying Him to Terrorism Funding

Following a report by SaharaReporters that listed him among Nigerians allegedly related to terror financiers, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami fiercely denied accusations that he was involved in financing terrorism.

According to the report, which was released on Friday, two suspects detained during a counterterrorism probe were “linked to” Malami and other well-known Nigerians.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Malami denied any role in financing terrorists in a statement posted on his Facebook page. He emphasized that he has never been charged, looked into, or suspected of financing terrorism by Nigerian or foreign authorities.

“My attention has been drawn to a recent publication in which my name was mentioned in connection with allegations of terrorism financing and so-called “links” to persons described as terror suspects or alleged financiers,” the statement says.

“I believe the following clarifications are required for the sake of justice, truth, and public record.

“First, I declare categorically and absolutely that I have never been charged, accused, invited, questioned, investigated, or investigated for financing terrorism or any associated offense by any security, law enforcement, regulatory, or intelligence organization, either inside or outside of Nigeria.

Second, even the retired military commander who was quoted as the main source in the aforementioned article unequivocally acknowledged that he was not accusing me or any other specified individuals of funding terrorism. According to reports, his own description was restricted to an ambiguous claim that some suspects reportedly had “business” or “institutional” relationships with different individuals. Unfortunately, that crucial clarification was overshadowed by a headline and framing that could lead well-meaning people to draw incorrect and harmful conclusions. These conclusions were then politically manipulated by my political opponents to create mischievous insinuations that suggested I was involved in financing terrorism.

Financing terrorism is a serious offense that has disastrous effects on both human life and national security. Any attempt to link a person to such an offense—whether by direct accusation or indirect innuendo—must be based on verified evidence, due process, and legal conclusions rather than conjecture, speculation, or guilt by association. It is dishonest and unfair to imply that legitimate professional or institutional interactions might be interpreted as proof of financing terrorism in the absence of additional information.

For the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion that I was involved in the funding of terrorism is directly refuted by my official record in office. I collaborated with other branches of government and pertinent organizations while serving as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in order to fortify Nigeria’s institutional and legal framework against money laundering and the funding of terrorism, rather than weaken it.

“To meet international standards on operational autonomy and to restore Nigeria’s standing within the international financial intelligence community, the Federal Government established an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) by law through cooperative efforts involving the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Assembly, and other stakeholders.

“The Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which repealed the previous Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and offered a more thorough and strict framework for combating money laundering and related offenses, including those that may underpin terrorism financing, was enacted with our support.

In a similar vein, we worked on the enactment and execution of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which updated offenses and penalties, strengthened Nigeria’s legal framework against terrorism, and strengthened provisions that specifically addressed the financing of terrorism in accordance with international norms and UN obligations.

“To improve coordination, information-sharing, and compliance across the anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing (AML/CFT) architecture, my office collaborated closely with important domestic institutions, including the NFIU, the Central Bank of Nigeria, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies, as well as with international partners.”