EXCLUSIVE: Retired General Alleges Malami, Yahaya Colluded To Free 48 Terrorism Suspects, Links Top Military, Govt Officials To Money Laundering

Retired Nigerian Army Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi, who was appointed in October 2020 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari to head a covert Presidential Task Force, Operation Service Wide (OSW), has 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 an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, Ali-Keffi lamented the release of all terrorism financing suspects in Army custody.

According to him, it occurred under “suspicious circumstances.”

He alleged that former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya (retd.), allegedly influenced by former Army Chief Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), orchestrated his exit from the Army to facilitate the release.

“All the terrorism financing suspects in the custody of the Army were released under suspicious circumstances. Thus, it could be safely deduced that General Yahaya, under the prompting of General Buratai set me up in order to get me out of the Army to pave way for the release of the suspects to cover up their links to some of the terror suspects,” he said.

“It is an open secret that General Buratai influenced the appointment of General Yahaya as the Army Chief following the death of General Attahiru as he wielded considerable influence in the Buhari administration.”

Ali-Keffi also implicated the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in the alleged release, noting that his office would normally guide investigations and advise on the release of suspects only if insufficient evidence existed.

Ali-Keffi suggested that Malami’s “cooperation” was necessary for the suspects to be freed illegally, given his alleged connections to some of the suspects.

He said, “This is because the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice which Mr Malami headed were expected to guide the investigators in preparing evidences against the suspects with a view to prosecuting them in court.

“Similarly, it was his (Mr Malami’s) duty to also advise the Commander OSW to recommend to the former president to release a suspect if there is insufficient evidence to prosecute a suspect on either terrorism financing or money laundering charge.

“So, Mr Malami’s cooperation would be needed for any ‘illegal’ activity to occur in respect of the suspects’ release.

“Considering that Mr Malami was also linked to some of the suspects, it makes logical sense to assume that he cooperated with General Yahaya to free the suspects in the manner that was done in order to protect their reputation: any allegation of links to terrorism financing carries grave consequences for any individual not to talk a high government or military official.”

“So, it is improbable that the suspects would have been released by the Army without the knowledge and agreement of Mr Malami,” he added.

The retired general further raised concerns over the misappropriation of funds intended for counterterrorism operations.

He alleged that billions of dollars spent on Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts since 2010 yielded minimal results, largely due to alleged diversion of funds by senior military and government officials.

He said, “It should also be noted that Nigeria has expended several billions of dollars since the insurgency started sometime around 2010 but with very little results to show.

“It is generally believed that most of the money meant for the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts are diverted into private pockets. In order words, enormous sums are stolen and some military top brasses in collusion with senior government and political figures are behind this misappropriation of funds meant for the counterinsurgency campaign.

“The NFIU as part of the OSW observed huge sums of money being laundered by some of the terrorism financing suspects on behalf of senior government and military officials; a number of the suspects operate bureau de change - money exchange- as a front for their more deadly crimes, which is, terrorism financing.”

“As I have come to understand in the course of the OSW project, misapplication of funds meant for counterterrorism is as bad as financing terrorism: they are both major enablers of terrorism,” he added.

Ali-Keffi also referenced a forensic audit reportedly ordered by the late Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, which was set to be signed on May 24, 2021, three days after Attahiru’s death.

He suggested that the audit could have uncovered the alleged misappropriation of funds, hinting at the possibility that the sabotage of Attahiru’s aircraft may be linked to those findings.

According to Ali-Keffi, OSW had amassed overwhelming evidence against 48 terrorism financing suspects, much of it sourced from the United Arab Emirates and Western intelligence agencies.

He described the release of all suspects without even money laundering convictions as unbelievable, arguing that only a thorough investigation into OSW could uncover the truth.

He said, “The OSW had overwhelming evidence against each of the 48 terrorism financing suspects in the custody of the Army. A lot of the evidence were provided by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as through collaboration with Western intelligence agencies.

“Therefore, for the entire suspects to walk away free was simply beyond belief. There must have been compromise for the suspects to get away without even money laundering convictions slammed on them.”

“Only a thorough investigation of the OSW will reveal the truth regarding the freeing of the suspects,” he added.