Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has spoken out for the first time on allegations linking him to terrorism financing, condemning the claims as unfounded, misleading, and politically driven. He explained in a statement on Friday that he was compelled to respond after a recent publication insinuated that he and others were connected to individuals labelled as terror suspects or alleged financiers.
He dismissed the allegations as “unfounded, unfair and contrary to both my record in public office and objective facts.”
The former minister stressed that he had never been accused, invited, interrogated or investigated by any security, law-enforcement or intelligence agency within or outside Nigeria for terrorism financing or any related offence.
He said: “I state clearly and unequivocally 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 noted that even the retired military officer cited as the principal source of the publication admitted that he did not accuse Malami or the other individuals of financing terrorism, but merely referenced vague “business” or “institutional” connections allegedly linked to some suspects.
He said the publication misrepresented this clarification and was politically exploited to create damaging insinuations about him.
Malami warned that normal professional or institutional engagements must not be misconstrued as evidence of su
“To suggest that lawful professional or institutional engagements can be read as evidence of terrorism financing is both mischievous and unjust,” he said.
“To suggest that lawful professional or institutional engagements can be read as evidence of terrorism financing is both mischievous and unjust,” he said.
Highlighting his record, Malami listed several anti–money laundering and counter-terrorism reforms spearheaded during his tenure, including:
Establishment of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) as an independent entity
Enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
Enactment of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
He noted that improved inter-agency coordination under these laws contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
“During my tenure, I worked to strengthen—not weaken—Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework against money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” he said.
Malami urged the media to exercise caution when reporting on sensitive national security issues, warning that careless publications can damage reputations and undermine confidence in state institutions.
He reiterated his unwavering commitment to the rule of law and Nigeria’s international obligations, adding that he reserves the right to take legal action against any publication that misrepresents his role in combating terrorism financing.
