by George Ozalla
Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has denied any involvement in terrorism financing, insisting all his professional engagements have been lawful. Malami said he has never been summoned, questioned, or investigated by any security or intelligence agency in Nigeria or abroad over terrorism-related activities.
He criticized recent media reports, arguing that references to unnamed terror suspects’ business dealings were misrepresented, and accused political opponents of using the narrative to conduct smear campaigns. Malami emphasized that lawful professional engagements cannot be construed as support for terrorism.
Malami was recently invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for clarification on certain matters. Sources said he was in EFCC custody on Friday and secured bail by providing two permanent secretaries as sureties. He assured Nigerians that he complied with the commission’s invitation willingly.
The former AGF has faced past allegations of corruption and financial impropriety, including matters involving Dr Ted Iseghahi Edwards, but has not been formally charged. Malami maintained that his tenure focused on strengthening Nigeria’s anti-terror-financing regime and called for public discourse to separate fact from politically motivated narratives.
