Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has firmly refuted claims linking him to terrorism financing after a report listed him among prominent Nigerians allegedly associated with terror financiers.
The report claimed that two suspects arrested during a counter-terrorism operation were “linked to” Mr Malami and some other influential figures.
However, in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday evening, the former minister said he had never been accused, investigated, or prosecuted by any Nigerian or international authority over terrorism financing.
Malami further clarified that the retired military officer referenced as the primary source did not accuse him of any wrongdoing, describing the report as misleading and falsely suggesting complicity on his part.
Although Malami himself has not faced any direct terrorism-related allegations, the Buhari administration, where he served as the nation’s chief law officer, was regularly criticized for shielding the identities of high-profile terrorism financiers despite public pressure.
Back in May 2021, Malami had announced that investigations uncovered several notable Nigerians and businessmen suspected of funding terrorism.
At the time, he said the suspects were being profiled for prosecution, insisting that no offender would be exempt.
“We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian State is concerned,” he said then.
But throughout the administration’s tenure, the identities of those suspects were never publicly revealed, and their prosecution was never known to have taken place before Buhari left office in May 2023.
The resurfaced allegations against Malami follow his recent interrogation by the EFCC over alleged mismanagement of recovered public assets, including a portion of the Abacha loot.
He was questioned on 28 November and later granted administrative bail. Malami has maintained his innocence and has not been charged regarding the EFCC probe.
‘I’m champion of legal reform not terrorism financing’
Highlighting his legacy in office, Malami pointed to his contribution to strengthening Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CFT) mechanisms.
“We similarly worked on the passage and implementation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which strengthened Nigeria’s legal regime against terrorism, updated offences and penalties, and reinforced provisions dealing specifically with the financing of terrorism in line with international standards and United Nations obligations.
“These reforms…formed part of the body of work later assessed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and contributed to Nigeria’s eventual removal from the FATF ‘grey list’ of jurisdictions under increased monitoring,” he stated.
He argued that interacting with diverse individuals and organisations is a normal responsibility in public service and does not signify any criminal association.
“Independent international evaluation of that nature is entirely inconsistent with any suggestion that those leading such reforms were, at the same time, colluding with or protecting terror financiers,” he said, referencing global assessments confirming Nigeria’s compliance with international AML/CFT benchmarks.
Malami concluded by urging responsible journalism on national security matters to prevent the erosion of public trust in government institutions.
He restated his dedication to upholding justice, strengthening the nation’s legal and security systems, and defending his reputation against misinformation.
