Military authorities have arrested and detained a serving Brigadier General, allegedly over his association with a retired Nigerian Army officer, Maj. Gen. Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi (retd.).
Sources told Sahara Reporters that the arrest is believed to be linked to Ali-Keffi’s ongoing legal and public confrontation with a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), over allegations bordering on terrorism-financing investigations.
Ali-Keffi, who was appointed in October 2020 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to head a covert Presidential Task Force, Operation Service Wide (OSW), has consistently alleged that terror-financing suspects arrested by the task force were released while in military custody.
According to military sources, the officer arrested is Brig. Gen. Gabriel E. Archibong, who was taken into custody over 10 days ago and is currently being detained at the Army’s Special Investigation Bureau.
Archibong is a serving officer at the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in Minna, Niger State.
A source said his arrest was linked to the frequency of his communication with Ali-Keffi and allegations that he was “not cooperating” with military authorities.
“He was taken to his house in Lugbe a day after his arrest, where soldiers searched the premises for over three hours,” the source said. “Nothing incriminating was found, but his phones and laptop were seized.”
Sources expressed concern that the detention could adversely affect the officer’s career and wellbeing, insisting that Archibong had committed no offence.
“We don’t want any harm to happen to the General or to his career. We feel awful that an officer is being treated like this because of Ali-Keffi,” a source said.
Sources alleged that Buratai may be connected to the development, claiming the former army chief had portrayed Ali-Keffi’s actions to military authorities as an attempt to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Army.
Reacting, Ali-Keffi said efforts to hold Buratai accountable were being interpreted as an attack on the institution.
“What a shame that the Army now considers that an attempt to bring Buratai to account for his misdeeds is tantamount to shredding the Army,” he said. “This is a case of ‘Buratai is the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Army is Buratai.’”
The arrest is also believed to be connected to preparations by the Army to defend itself in a lawsuit Ali-Keffi filed at the National Industrial Court in Abuja in December 2025.
Ali-Keffi sued the Nigerian Army and top military and defence officials over his arrest, 64-day detention without charge and compulsory retirement.
In the suit, he alleged torture, denial of fair hearing and violations of the Constitution, the Armed Forces Act and military regulations.
He claimed that his detention paved the way for the release of all terrorism-financing suspects arrested by OSW.
Ali-Keffi said he and his family received death threats following his detention and retirement, forcing repeated foreign trips for safety and causing severe emotional, psychological and financial hardship.
He is seeking ₦100bn in compensatory damages, ₦100bn in punitive damages, and ₦120m in special damages, as well as an order nullifying his compulsory retirement and recognising him as having retired voluntarily at age 60.
Ali-Keffi has previously disclosed that investigations by OSW, working with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), uncovered alleged links between terror-financing suspects and senior military officers, financial officials and government figures.
He stated that suspects arrested in March 2021 were allegedly linked to former Chiefs of Army Staff Buratai and Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya (retd.), former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, and former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Ali-Keffi clarified that he was not directly accusing the named individuals of financing terrorism but said investigations linked them to some of the suspects.