I’m Not a Terrorist Financier, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya Says Demands Apology from Sahara Reporters
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya (retd.), has debunked media reports linking him to terrorism financing list in the unfolding fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
In a recent report published by online newspaper, Sahara Reporters the former army chief was linked through one Maj.-Gen. Danjuma Ali-Keff (retd).
The report mentioned Yahaya and other individuals in connection with allegations of terrorism financing and purported “links” to persons described as terror suspects or alleged financiers.
However, reacting through a statement issued in Abuja on his behalf by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman (retd) on Saturday in Abuja, Yahaya stated that the claims as “spurious, baseless, and entirely untrue.
“At no point in his career, before, during, or after serving as Chief of Army Staff, did Lt.-Gen. Yahaya have any direct or indirect association with anyone involved in terrorism financing or activities that undermine national security,” the statement read.
In the statement, Yahaya accused Ali-Keffi of pursuing a “personal vendetta” rooted in disciplinary actions taken against him while in service, adding that the publication was malicious and devoid of factual basis.
Demanding immediate retraction of the report as well as an apology, from bothe Alli-Keffi and Sahara Reporters, the retired aemy chief said that, “These allegations run contrary to Gen. Yahaya’s impeccable service record, professional integrity, and lifelong commitment to the defence of Nigeria.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, noting that the national effort required “responsibility, patriotism, and truth, not propaganda driven by personal grudges.
