Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has rejected allegations linking him to terrorism financing, describing the claims as baseless, misleading, and politically motivated.
In a statement, Malami responded to a publication that suggested he had connections with individuals labeled as terror suspects or alleged financiers. He emphasized that he has never been accused, interrogated, or investigated by any security or intelligence agency in Nigeria or abroad for terrorism-related offenses.
Malami noted that the source cited in the publication admitted he was not accusing Malami of terrorism financing. He described the publication’s framing as misleading and politically manipulated to harm his reputation.
“Terrorism financing is a grave crime. Any insinuation of my involvement must be based on verifiable facts, due process, and lawful findings, not conjecture,” Malami said. He highlighted reforms he led as Attorney-General, including the creation of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the enactment of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
These measures, he said, strengthened Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing framework and contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list.
Malami urged the media to exercise responsibility in reporting national security matters and affirmed his commitment to the rule of law. He also reserved the right to seek legal redress over any misleading publications.
