Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has dismissed fresh claims linking him to terrorism financing, saying the allegations were misleading, unfair and driven by politics.
Malami issued a statement on Friday after a publication suggested he had ties to people described as terror suspects or alleged financiers. He said the claims were not supported by any facts.
He said, “I state clearly that I have never at any time been accused, invited, interrogated, investigated or charged by any security, law-enforcement, regulatory or intelligence agency within or outside Nigeria in respect of terrorism financing or any related offence.”
Malami added that even the retired military officer quoted as the main source in the publication did not accuse him of funding terrorism. According to him, the officer only mentioned that some suspects once had business or institutional links with different individuals, a remark he said was later twisted.
He said, “That important clarification was overshadowed by a headline and framing capable of misleading well-meaning members of the public. It was unfortunately manipulated by my political opponents to create mischievous insinuations implying my involvement in terrorism financing.”
The former minister described terrorism financing as a serious crime that should only be linked to any person through verified evidence, due process and lawful investigation, not assumptions or speculation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, my public record in office stands in direct contradiction to any insinuation of complicity,” he said.
Malami also pointed to reforms he led during his time as Attorney-General, including the creation of an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. He noted that these reforms improved coordination between agencies such as the NFIU, the Central Bank of Nigeria and law-enforcement bodies, helping Nigeria secure removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list.
He said, “During my tenure, I worked with other arms of government and relevant institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”
Malami added that public officials regularly interact with a wide range of people, and such interactions should not be twisted into claims of wrongdoing.
He urged the media to be responsible when reporting on national security issues, warning that careless claims could damage reputations and weaken trust in national institutions.
He also said he reserves the right to pursue legal action against any publication that misrepresents his role or makes false accusations against him.
