Financiers Of Terrorism Are Known But Government Knows Why Their Names Are Not Released — Ex Army Chief Buratai

He stated that relevant government agencies are already aware of those behind terror financing.

Infamous former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.), has claimed he cannot be held responsible for the failure to publicly disclose the names of individuals allegedly financing terrorism in Nigeria.

Buratai made this known on Friday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he stated that relevant government agencies are already aware of those behind terror financing. 

“You cannot say I should be responsible for naming the financiers of terror,” Buratai said.

“It’s not just about mentioning names; those agencies know why the names are not released. Action should be taken; these individuals are still within society today, and they are known. I take responsibility for certain things that are strictly the Nigerian Army’s responsibility.”

He also claimed that the decision to rehabilitate repentant Boko Haram members was not taken by the Nigerian Army but by the government.

“The initial concept that we had was that we gave them a timeline to surrender in 2016, and if they surrendered, we gave them a free passage and handed them over to appropriate agencies to rehabilitate them,” he added.

Buratai further lamented the worsening security situation in the country, stressing the need for improved intelligence gathering to tackle insecurity.

He also urged the government to recruit more security personnel to strengthen efforts aimed at making the country safer.

SaharaReporters on Friday reported that military authorities reportedly detained a serving Brigadier General, Gabriel E. Archibong, since the first week of January 2026 over his alleged links to a retired Nigerian Army Major General, Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi.

SaharaReporters gathered that three others, two military personnel and a civilian, are also in custody alongside the senior officer.

Sources had said Archibong’s domestic staff, including his cook/gardener, personal assistant, and driver, were arrested and detained in connection with the case.

In January, SaharaReporters reported that sources said Archibong’s arrest was connected to Ali-Keffi’s legal and public confrontation with former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai. 

Ali-Keffi, who was appointed in October 2020 by then-President Muhammadu Buhari to head a covert Presidential Task Force, Operation Service Wide (OSW), had repeatedly raised serious allegations concerning the release of terrorism financing suspects while they were under military custody.

OSW, composed of personnel from the military, security and intelligence agencies, as well as legal officers from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, was tasked with arresting, investigating, and prosecuting financiers, sponsors, and collaborators of terrorist organisations, as well as capturing or eliminating terrorist leaders.

In January, SaharaReporters also reported that Brig. Gen. Archibong was being held at the Army’s Special Investigation Bureau.

The outlet further learnt that his arrest was linked to the frequency of his communications with Ali-Keffi, as well as allegations that he was “not cooperating” with military authorities.

“He was taken to his house in Lugbe a day after his arrest, where soldiers searched the premises for over three hours,” a military source previously told SaharaReporters. “Nothing incriminating was found, but his phones and laptop were seized.”

Archibong serves as the Chief of Staff at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Minna, Niger State, where he plays a strategic role in shaping military training, doctrine, and operational effectiveness.

Sources had alleged that Buratai is behind Archibong’s detention.

Ali-Keffi filed a multi-billion-naira lawsuit at the National Industrial Court in Abuja in December 2025 against the Nigerian Army and the entire top leadership of the military and defence establishment, challenging his arrest, detention and compulsory retirement.

In the suit, he alleges unlawful arrest, 64 days of detention without charge, torture, denial of fair hearing and violations of the Constitution, the Armed Forces Act and military regulations, which he says culminated in a dishonourable compulsory retirement.

He also claims that all terrorism-financing suspects arrested by the task force he headed, Operation Service Wide (OSW), were later released while he was detained.

Ali-Keffi says he and his family received death threats after his detention and retirement, forcing repeated foreign trips for safety and causing severe financial, emotional and psychological hardship.

He is seeking ₦100 billion in compensatory damages, another ₦100 billion in punitive damages, and ₦120 million in special damages for lost allowances.

He is also asking the court to nullify his compulsory retirement, recognise him as having retired voluntarily at age 60, and order full payment of his pensions, gratuities and other entitlements with interest.