Malami denies terror financing allegations, says claims are politically motivated

By : Tunde Omolehin

Date: 6 December 2025 2:44pm WAT

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Abubakar Malami

Abubakar Malami

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has firmly dismissed recent insinuations linking him to terrorism financing, describing them as misleading, unfounded, and politically engineered.

Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency. In a statement made available to our correspondent, he expressed concern over a publication that mentioned his name in connection with alleged terror financiers, saying such claims were “mischievous, speculative, and damaging.”

He stressed that at no time in his career had he ever been accused, invited, interrogated, investigated, or charged by any security or intelligence agency in Nigeria or abroad over terrorism financing or any related offence. According to him, the retired military officer cited in the contentious report had also admitted that he was not accusing Malami or any other named individuals of sponsoring terrorism.

The former minister said this clarification was overshadowed by a misleading headline deliberately weaponised by political opponents to create false impressions. “Terrorism financing is a grave crime. Any attempt to associate an individual with it must be grounded in verifiable facts, not conjecture or guilt by association,” Malami said.

He highlighted his role in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing (AML/CFT) framework during his tenure. Malami cited key reforms, including the establishment of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as an independent body, the enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

He noted that these reforms contributed to Nigeria’s eventual removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, following improved compliance with international AML/CFT standards. “These independent international assessments contradict any suggestion that those leading such reforms were colluding with or protecting terror financiers,” he further stated.

The former minister cautioned against sensational media reports capable of undermining public confidence in national security institutions. He however reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law and said he reserved the right to seek legal redress over any publication that misrepresents his record or impugns his integrity.

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