Former Attorney-General Describes Allegations as Baseless and Politically Motivated
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has firmly rejected recent media reports suggesting he was involved in terrorism financing, calling the claims false, misleading, and deliberately distorted.
In a statement issued on Friday, Malami said he had never been accused, questioned or investigated either by Nigerian authorities or any foreign security or regulatory agency over terrorism financing or related offences. He described the publication that circulated the accusation as wholly unfounded.
Malami also faulted the report’s reliance on a retired military officer, noting that even the purported source did not accuse him of funding terrorism. Instead, the publication allegedly twisted vague claims that some suspects had “business or institutional” contact with different individuals, using it to cast damaging aspersions on his name. According to him, the framing was misleading and further amplified by political opponents seeking undue advantage.
“Terrorism financing is a grave and serious crime. Any attempt to link an individual to it must rely on verifiable evidence and lawful findings not speculation or guilt by association,” he stated.
The former minister argued that his record sharply contradicts any notion of complicity. He highlighted significant reforms implemented during his tenure to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks. These include: The establishment of an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), The enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, The Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
Malami noted that these efforts contributed to Nigeria’s eventual removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list,” a milestone in improving the country’s financial integrity systems.
He stressed that public officials routinely engage with a wide range of individuals, and such interactions should not be misinterpreted as evidence of wrongdoing. According to him, careless or inaccurate reporting on sensitive security matters not only damages reputations but also undermines public confidence in national institutions.
Reaffirming his commitment to the rule of law, Malami said he categorically rejects any insinuation linking him to terrorism financing and reserves the right to pursue legal redress against publications that misrepresent his actions or smear his integrity.
