A covert counter-terrorism initiative approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari has re-emerged in controversy, following sweeping allegations by retired Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi, who led the 1 Division and served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) before leaving the military under disputed circumstances.
Ali-Keffi was selected in 2021 to head Operation Service Wide (OSW), a multi-agency mission tasked with identifying Boko Haram financiers, disrupting illicit financial flows, and dismantling networks believed to be sustaining the insurgency.
But according to him, what began as a classified intelligence drive soon spiralled into a political minefield touching some of the country’s most influential figures.
NFIU Intelligence to Buhari ‘Changed Everything’
Documents and accounts obtained by SaharaReporters show that OSW, working alongside the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), arrested several high-profile suspects in March 2021. Detailed financial tracking allegedly linked multiple money flows to terrorism-related activity.
In September 2021, the findings were presented to President Buhari. Ali-Keffi said the then Chief of Army Staff, General Faruk Yahaya (rtd), was central to the briefing but was subsequently linked to one of the arrested suspects through business dealings.
A month later, Ali-Keffi was invited to the Headquarters of Military Police. On 18 October 2021, he was detained for hours, and then held for 64 days, without charges, queries, or trial, before being compulsorily retired.
“Till today, I don’t know my offence,” he said, alleging that his detention was designed to derail the investigation.
He added that a petition he later submitted to President Bola Tinubu seeking redress elicited no action, prompting him to file a case at the National Industrial Court. He claims the court has yet to sit, alleging procedural irregularities and possible interference.
Powerful Figures Allegedly Linked Through Suspects
Ali-Keffi states that his claims were based on information relayed directly by the NFIU Director at the time, Modibbo Hamman-Tukur Ribadu. He said the NFIU linked:
Two suspects to former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd)
Two suspects to former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami (SAN)
One suspect to former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiel
One suspect to Gen Faruk Yahaya (rtd)
He stressed that none of these officials was found to have financed terrorism or knowingly aided it. The links, he said, arose from business relationships, mostly Bureau De Change transactions which investigators feared were being used as fronts.
Ali-Keffi also alleged that Buratai asked the NFIU leadership to influence him to release two suspects. He refused, reporting the matter directly to Buhari, who, according to him, responded sharply: “You report to me and to me alone.”
$600m Offshore Account and an Alleged $50m Bribe Attempt
The operation uncovered an offshore account containing $600 million belonging to international arms dealer Aboubacar Hima. The account was frozen by the US after NFIU intelligence was shared with Washington.
Ali-Keffi claims he was informed of an attempted $50 million bribe from an associate of Hima, seeking Nigeria’s endorsement for the funds to be released. He said he declined the offer.
He was later told that the Nigerian government wrote to the US authorities requesting that the account be unfrozen. Buhari reportedly instructed the NFIU chief to “reconcile with Malami” over their disagreements.
Attempts to Water Down Terrorism Charges
The retired general said OSW built evidence to prosecute 48 suspects on terrorism-financing charges. However, pressure mounted for him to downgrade the allegations to money laundering, an action he believed was aimed at shifting control of the process to the EFCC, which at the time was led by Abdulrasheed Bawa, a relative of Malami.
A senior prosecution lawyer who refused to compromise her legal position was reportedly removed from the case. Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s office allegedly failed to seek asset-forfeiture orders, applying only for detention warrants.
“The powers in place wanted to kill the investigation,” Ali-Keffi said.
Collapse of OSW and Release of High-Profile Suspects
Following his detention and compulsory retirement, OSW was effectively shut down. Ali-Keffi said the suspects in custody, including 20 top-tier targets, were released without charge.
He claimed they were warned not to challenge their nine-month detention or speak publicly about its circumstances.
List of 400 Targets, Including Boko Haram’s Shekau
In one of his most dramatic disclosures, Ali-Keffi said OSW maintained a list of more than 400 individuals marked for arrest or elimination. Boko Haram’s notorious commander, Abubakar Shekau, was among them.
“We couldn’t arrest Shekau, so we ‘engineered’ what happened to him,” he said, without offering further clarification.
Awaiting Answers
Ali-Keffi maintains that the NFIU, EFCC, and the Attorney-General’s office are best positioned to explain whether funds traced to the suspects were recovered or released.
He insists his ordeal stemmed from refusing to compromise on a sensitive investigation that touched some of the country’s most powerful men.
Meanwhile, neither the Nigerian Army nor the named officials has publicly responded to his latest claims.
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