A comprehensive counter-terrorism investigation has revealed alleged connections between suspected terror financiers and some of Nigeria’s most influential figures, including former top government officials and military leaders, sparking widespread attention and raising questions about the effectiveness of national security oversight.
The revelations come from a retired Nigerian Army General, Ali-Keffi, who once led the multi-agency probe and has since gone public with details of the operation, alleging interference from powerful quarters that hindered justice and accountability.
Operation Service Wide: Uncovering Terror Networks
In 2021, under the approval of then-President Muhammadu Buhari, a counter-terrorism initiative known as Operation Service Wide (OSW) was launched. The operation aimed to identify Boko Haram masterminds, trace their financiers, and dismantle networks that supported terrorism in Nigeria.
The retired general disclosed that OSW uncovered “a sprawling network of financiers allegedly tied to senior government officials, influential military officers, and top financial institutions,” which highlighted the complexities of terrorism financing and the potential involvement of high-profile actors in facilitating illegal networks.
Suspects Linked to Influential Nigerians
According to Ali-Keffi, the investigation identified multiple suspects with connections to high-profile individuals:
Two suspects allegedly connected to former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd).Two suspects tied to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
One suspect linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Faruk Yahaya (rtd) associated with another suspect.
He emphasized that these officials were not directly accused of financing terrorism. Instead, the individuals under investigation were linked to them through business or personal associations, raising concerns over potential influence and accountability at the highest levels of government.
Ali-Keffi said: “I am not accusing Buratai, Malami, or Emefiele of terrorism financing. But I was informed by the former NFIU Director that investigations linked them to some of the suspects. I don’t know if they were later cleared, but up to the time I was arrested, detained, compulsorily retired, and removed from OSW, they were linked to some of the suspects.”
He further clarified: “Let me state again that the former Director of NFIU told me that Gen. Buratai, Malami, Emefiele, and Gen. Yahaya respectively were linked to some of the suspects based on business connections. Many of the suspects were engaged in legitimate businesses such as Bureau De Change, which we suspected were ‘cover’ for other nefarious activity, namely terrorism financing. Throughout my time leading OSW, we did not establish that Gen. Buratai, Emefiele, Malami, or Gen. Yahaya were directly involved in terrorism financing or aware that the suspects linked to them were engaged in such activities.”
Arrest, Detention, and Forced Retirement
Ali-Keffi revealed that he was abruptly summoned to the Headquarters of the Military Police on October 18, 2021, and detained for 64 days without being charged, queried, or tried by any military or civil court before being compulsorily retired. He described the detention as a coordinated effort to halt the terrorism-financing probe.
He added that his petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeking redress was ignored, prompting him to go public and file a case at the National Industrial Court. Ali-Keffi claimed: “The court has not sat even once, citing that court processes were not served on the Nigerian Army, and my lawyer strongly suspects foul play.”
Offshore Accounts and Attempted Bribe
The investigation traced an international suspect, Aboubacar Hima, who owned an offshore account containing approximately $600 million. OSW identified the account via the NFIU, revealing the scale of the funds involved in suspected terrorism financing.
Ali-Keffi disclosed: “I was later informed by the then-NFIU boss that someone acting for Hima offered $50 million to Nigeria to falsely inform the US that there were no issues with the funds, effectively attempting to unfreeze the account. I rejected the offer outright.”
He added: “After my release, I was informed that the Nigerian government eventually wrote to the US requesting that the account be unfrozen. Buhari reportedly instructed the NFIU boss to ‘reconcile with Malami’ over their ‘differences.’”
Investigation Obstructed, Suspects Released
Ali-Keffi stated that OSW had gathered evidence for terrorism-financing charges against 48 suspects but faced persistent pressure to downgrade the charges to money laundering. He alleged that key prosecution lawyers were removed from the case to weaken the investigation and transfer it to the EFCC, under the control of the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.
He further claimed: “I understand that 20 suspects were never charged or brought to court. They were released after being warned not to go to the media or pursue court actions despite being detained for over nine months. Pressure was mounted on NFIU to drop accusations of terrorism financing, undermining justice and accountability.”
Over 400 Targets, Including Boko Haram Leader Shekau
Ali-Keffi revealed that OSW had identified over 400 individuals for arrest or elimination, including the late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. While not all could be apprehended, the operation had strategies in place to neutralize high-risk targets.
He stressed that the NFIU, EFCC, and the Office of the Attorney-General are best positioned to clarify whether the funds traced to terror sponsors were recovered or released. The retired general concluded that his ordeal, including arrest, detention, and forced retirement, was a direct result of resisting attempts to obstruct a terrorism-financing investigation that involved some of Nigeria’s most powerful figures.