Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Ambassador to Benin Republic, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), has categorically denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing.
Buratai described the claims as false, misleading, and entirely at odds with the principles he upheld throughout his military career. The response was issued on Saturday in a statement signed by his former Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman (rtd).
According to the statement, the allegations were “baseless and deliberately aimed at tarnishing his reputation.” It stressed that Buratai has never been investigated, questioned, charged, or implicated in terrorism financing by any security or intelligence agency. No military, diplomatic, judicial, or administrative body has ever associated him with funding terrorist activities.
The statement noted that the report was based solely on claims by retired Major-General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, describing the assertions as “malicious and completely unfounded.” Buratai’s team expressed disappointment, though not surprise, at attempts to damage his public image, highlighting that similar efforts in the past have failed given his impeccable service record.
Buratai’s record, the statement emphasized, includes over 40 years of fighting terrorism, strengthening counter-insurgency operations, and helping the military reclaim territories previously held by Boko Haram and ISWAP. Under his leadership, the Army restored government presence in several communities and enabled displaced families to return home.
The former Army chief has demanded that both the publication and Ali-Keffi retract the story and issue a public apology. Failing that, he warned that legal action will be taken to protect his reputation.
Nigeria has been grappling with terrorism for more than a decade, with groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP killing and displacing thousands. Allegations of internal sabotage have occasionally emerged, but Buratai’s team insisted that his service record remains untarnished.
