Abuja — December 5, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
Retired Major-General Ali‑Keffi, former commander of the 1st Division of the Nigerian Army and ex-head of the counter-terror “Operation Service Wide” (OSW), has reignited controversy by claiming that suspected terrorist financiers arrested over years were linked to prominent Nigerians including a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), ex-Chief of Army Staff, a former Central Bank Governor, and other senior officials.
According to Ali-Keffi, OSW — working with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in 2021 traced extensive financial flows linking terror suspects to high-profile Nigerians. Among those named as connected (though not formally charged by Ali-Keffi) are a former AGF Abubakar Malami, former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai (rtd.), another ex-army chief, and former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Ali-Keffi said the investigation uncovered a network of 48 suspects allegedly financiers and facilitators whose bank accounts showed suspicious inflows and outflows, some allegedly used to fund weapons procurement and logistic support for extremist and terror-linked groups. He further claimed the network traced an offshore account holding about US $600 million, and recounted an attempt to bribe the task-force with US $50 million — an offer he rejected.
He insists that the impetus to expose and prosecute those behind the finances was undermined from within alleging that after the 2021 probe, he was detained without charge, forced into early retirement and removed from command, while all suspects arrested by OSW were quietly released.
According to the former general, attempts were made to down-grade terror-financing charges into simple money-laundering, effectively moving cases from OSW’s jurisdiction to the hands of agencies perceived to be under political influence.
The resurfacing of these allegations comes at a tense moment just days after a separate media investigation listed 23 suspected terror-financiers whose bank transactions allegedly show billions of naira flowing to known terror suspects and convicts.
The revelations have triggered growing public outcry and renewed calls from civil-society groups and legislators for a full and transparent reopening of the 2021 investigation. Many demand that the government publish the names, charges (if any), evidence and court outcomes of everyone involved including both the financiers and the officials allegedly linked to them.
As of now, neither the former AGF, the ex-army chiefs, nor the former CBN governor has publicly responded to the claims. Analysts warn that failure to investigate could deepen public distrust in government and deepen the sense that terror-financing networks operate with impunity.
By Dalena Reporters — National Security Desk