Terror financing allegations: Buratai drags ex-army general Ali-Keffi to court, demands N1bn damages

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has approached the Kaduna State High Court seeking N1 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements linking him to terrorism and Boko Haram financing.

The suit, filed on January 8, 2026, is against another retired senior officer, Maj. Gen. Danjuma Ali-Keffi (retd.), whom Buratai accused of making and circulating false and malicious claims suggesting his involvement in terror financing, the illegal release of terror suspects and attempts to shield terrorism-related activities.

In court documents, Buratai, represented by A.I. Aliyu and A.M. Hassan of Law Plus Consult, urged the court to declare that statements attributed to Ali-Keffi and published on Sahara Reporters and other online and social media platforms are defamatory and injurious to his reputation.

The former army chief alleged that in interviews granted in 2025, Ali-Keffi insinuated that he had links with terrorists and their financiers, and that he conspired to cover up terrorism while serving as Chief of Army Staff.

Buratai said the allegations gained widespread circulation across platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp and Instagram, giving them both national and international exposure.

He maintained that the claims were entirely false, insisting that he has never been investigated, indicted or convicted for terrorism or terror financing, and that the publications wrongly portrayed him as corrupt, unpatriotic and complicit in acts threatening Nigeria’s national security.

According to him, the defendant acted recklessly and with malice, despite allegedly admitting in the same publications that no investigation had established Buratai’s involvement in terrorism financing.

Among the reliefs sought, Buratai is asking the court to compel Ali-Keffi to retract the statements and publish an unreserved public apology with equal prominence on Sahara Reporters, in two national newspapers and across all social media platforms where the allegations appeared.

He is also claiming N1 billion in general damages for libel, citing the seriousness of terrorism-related accusations, their wide dissemination and the defendant’s standing as a retired senior military officer.

In addition, Buratai is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Ali-Keffi from making or repeating the alleged defamatory claims, as well as an order awarding him the full cost of the suit, including legal fees.

The writ of summons directs the defendant to enter an appearance within 21 days of service. As of the time of filing this report, no hearing date has been fixed and Ali-Keffi has yet to respond to the suit.