Ex-AGF Abubakar Malami Denies Any Connection to Terrorism Financing

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 strongly denied accusations that he was involved in financing terrorism.

Two suspects detained in a counterterrorism probe were allegedly “linked to” Malami and other well-known Nigerians, according to the Friday report.

Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), denied any role in funding terrorists in a statement posted on his Facebook site. He emphasized that he has never been indicted, investigated, or accused of financing terrorism by Nigerian or foreign organizations.

“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 states.

“I believe that the following explanations are required in the interest of justice, truth, and public record.

“First, I declare unequivocally that I have never been accused, invited, questioned, investigated, or charged with terrorism financing or any related offense by any security, law enforcement, regulatory, or intelligence agency, either inside or outside of Nigeria.”

Second, even the retired military commander who was identified as the main source in the aforementioned newspaper unequivocally acknowledged that he was not accusing me or the other named people 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 people. Unfortunately, that crucial clarification was overshadowed by a headline and framing that could lead well-intentioned people to draw false 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 crime that has terrible repercussions for both human life and national security. Any attempt to link someone to such an offense, whether by direct accusation or indirect inference, must be supported by verifiable facts, due process, and legal conclusions rather than by guesswork, speculation, or guilt by association. It is unfair and malicious to imply that legitimate professional or institutional interactions can 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 financing of terrorism is directly refuted by my public record while in office. In my roles as Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, I collaborated with other branches of government and pertinent organizations to bolster Nigeria’s institutional and legal framework against money laundering and terrorism financing.

“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 work 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 something we supported and ensured was passed.”

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 financing terrorism in accordance with international norms and UN commitments.

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