Retired Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi has vowed to escalate his battle against Nigeria’s military establishment to the ECOWAS Court of Justice following the dismissal of his ₦200 billion lawsuit by a Nigerian court, insisting that powerful interests have worked relentlessly to suppress revelations surrounding alleged terrorism financiers linked to influential figures in the country.
Ali-Keffi, a former General Officer Commanding and head of the presidential anti-terrorism investigative task force known as Operation Service Wide (OSW), has consistently alleged that investigations conducted under his leadership uncovered a network of suspected terrorism financiers whose cases were allegedly frustrated despite extensive intelligence gathering and arrests.
The retired officer had approached the National Industrial Court seeking ₦100 billion in compensatory damages, ₦100 billion in punitive damages, and additional special damages over what he described as his unlawful arrest, 64-day detention without trial, torture, denial of fair hearing, and compulsory retirement from service. He maintained that his ordeal began after his task force arrested individuals allegedly linked to terrorism financing and submitted findings to the authorities.
According to Ali-Keffi, several suspects arrested during the investigations were allegedly connected to powerful Nigerians, including former top military officers and senior government officials. He has repeatedly claimed that some of the investigations were derailed and that suspects were eventually released despite the evidence gathered by the task force. He has also alleged interference in the prosecution process and efforts to shield influential individuals from scrutiny.
The controversy has triggered a series of legal confrontations. Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), filed a ₦1 billion defamation suit against Ali-Keffi over allegations linking him to terrorism-related activities, describing the claims as false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation. Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya (retd.), also threatened legal action to challenge similar allegations and clear his name.
Despite mounting legal pressure, Ali-Keffi has remained defiant, insisting that his allegations are rooted in intelligence reports generated during official investigations. He argues that his detention, retirement, and subsequent treatment were part of a broader effort to silence him and bury sensitive information concerning terrorism financing networks operating within Nigeria.
The former general has now signaled his intention to seek redress before the ECOWAS Court, a move that could internationalise one of the most explosive security controversies in recent Nigerian history. If pursued, the case is expected to reignite debate over transparency in counter-terrorism operations, accountability within the security establishment, and longstanding allegations that influential figures have escaped scrutiny in investigations involving terrorism financing.
As the dispute deepens, the allegations remain strongly contested, with those named denying any wrongdoing and pursuing legal remedies to defend their reputations. Yet Ali-Keffi’s determination to continue the fight beyond Nigeria’s borders ensures that the controversy is far from over.