Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has categorically denied any involvement in terrorism financing, following a recent publication linking his name to alleged terror suspects and purported financiers.
In a statement posted on his official social media platforms on Friday, Malami described the allegations as “unfounded and unfair,” emphasizing that he has never been investigated, questioned, or charged by any security or intelligence agency in Nigeria or abroad over terrorism financing or related offenses.
He clarified that the retired military officer referenced in the report explicitly did not accuse him or any other individual of financing terrorism.
According to Malami, the publication distorted routine business or institutional interactions with some suspects into misleading narratives, which, he said, were exploited by political opponents for mischief and disinformation.
“Terrorism financing is a grave crime. Any attempt to associate an individual with such an offence must be grounded in verifiable facts, not conjecture or guilt by association,” Malami warned, cautioning against the weaponization of routine institutional engagements to tarnish reputations.
Highlighting his tenure as Attorney-General, Malami cited several reforms he championed to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-money-laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism-financing (CFT) 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 enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022
He noted that these reforms, implemented in collaboration with the National Assembly, law-enforcement agencies, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and international partners, were assessed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and contributed to Nigeria’s eventual removal from the organization’s grey list of countries under enhanced monitoring.
“Such internationally validated progress is entirely inconsistent with any suggestion that I, or others who led these reforms, were involved in shielding or supporting terror financiers,” Malami stated.
While reaffirming his respect for the media’s critical role, Malami urged responsible reporting, particularly on issues affecting national security.
He warned that careless or sensational coverage could damage reputations and undermine public trust in institutions tasked with safeguarding national security.
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