A CHILDHOOD FRIEND’S TESTIMONY: HOW MAJOR GENERAL ALI‑KEFFI’S PATH OF BETRAYAL BEGAN AT HOME

By Mallam Abdullahi Garba (Dan Asabe)

My name is Mallam Abdullahi Garba. Danjuma knows me well as Dan Asabe. For more than fifty years, my life has been intertwined with that of Danjuma Ali‑Keffi. We shared a childhood in Kaduna, dreams of service, and a bond I once believed unbreakable. I write today not out of malice, but under the heavy burden of truth.

The public now sees only the explosive allegations he has made against the state. What must be understood is the long, tragic pattern that preceded them.

The boy I knew was intelligent, but deeply troubled in his relationship with authority. A corrosive rebelliousness defined him from our neighbourhood streets to his years in uniform. This trait did not emerge suddenly; it matured. The military records now in the public domain did not invent this history—they documented it. Repeated refusal of lawful orders, the sabotage of colleagues, and retaliatory accusations against superiors who attempted correction were not anomalies; they were consistent behaviour.

His career became a slow‑motion testament to a single truth: he could not serve any institution beyond the altar of his own ego.

This pathology of betrayal was not confined to the barracks. Its most painful casualties were within his own home. I watched, powerless, as a man who rose to the rank of General dismantled every pillar of personal loyalty around him. Lifelong friends who offered counsel were cast aside. His siblings were treated with contempt. Most distressing of all was his treatment of the woman who gave him life.

When his mother lay hospitalised for weeks, fighting for her health, her son—the senior officer, the man of supposed honour—could not find a single hour to sit by her side. He offered neither comfort nor respect. This, to me, is the core of his character: a man perpetually at war with the world, leaving no room for love—only the cold certainty of his own righteousness.

His compulsory retirement was the institution’s final verdict. He was deemed unfit for command—described as incompetent, indolent, and disloyal. Released from military discipline, his destructive energy has now found a new target: the nation itself.

His present claims are not evidence‑based whistleblowing. They are a familiar script, repeated yet again—defy authority, fail within it, then accuse it of unspeakable evil. What was once a personal grievance has now been amplified into a tool capable of sowing national discord.

My plea, therefore, is twofold.

To the Nigerian public, I urge caution. Do not be seduced by the grandeur of sweeping claims. Examine the man behind them. Trace the unbroken chain from the disobedient officer to the estranged son to the accuser without proof. To amplify such a voice is to legitimise a lifelong pattern of ruin.

To Danjuma—my brother of old—this is my final warning. You stand at the edge of total self‑destruction. You have sacrificed your career, your friendships, and your family on the pyre of defiance. All that remains is your name, and even that you are burning.

Stop.

Before you speak again to the nation, find the courage to face the home you have destroyed. Seek forgiveness from your mother. Make peace with your past. Only there can redemption begin.

The path you walk leads to a legacy of ash. I pray you find the humility to turn back.

With a heavy heart,

Mallam Abdullahi Garba (Dan Asabe)

Hayin Banki, Kaduna

14 December 2025

Inside Ngige’s Arraignment: The Allegations, the Stakes, and the Future of Accountability

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester for SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“A Judicial Watershed and National Reckoning, Exposing Systemic Corruption in the Heart of Federal Governance.”

In a dramatic legal climax befitting Nigeria’s deepening battle against entrenched corruption, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, former Minister of Labour and Employment and one-time Governor of Anambra State, was arraigned on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged him with an eight-count indictment involving alleged fraud, abuse of office, and illicit enrichment totalling N2.2 billion. Following his arraignment, Justice Maryam Hassan ordered the 73-year-old defendant to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending his bail application scheduled for December 15.

This moment marks a critical inflection in Nigeria’s anti-graft campaign and a test of the judiciary’s resolve and of the nation’s commitment to making public office synonymous with public trust rather than personal gain.

Context: Who is Chris Ngige and Why This Matters. Dr. Chris Ngige is no ordinary subject of criminal process. A seasoned politician, medical doctor, former Governor of Anambra State, and long-serving Minister of Labour (under then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration from 2015 to 2023) he has occupied the corridors of power for decades. His tenure as a public official, therefore, carries immense weight, not only in policy but in public expectation.

The charges against him are severe and wide-ranging. They allege that Ngige used his official positions — including his supervisory role over the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) — to confer unfair advantage on companies linked to personal associates, approving lucrative contracts improperly. Furthermore, he is accused of corruptly receiving monetary “gifts” disguised as legitimate transfers through organisations tied to him.

Such systemic corruption allegations are not mere bookkeeping disputes and they strike at the core of Nigeria’s governance architecture, where public institutions are expected to serve citizens, not patronage networks.

The EFCC’s Charges: Abuse of Office and Illicit Gains

The EFCC’s charges (contained in FCT/HC/CR/726/2025) lay out a detailed pattern of alleged wrongdoing:

Count One alleges that between September 2015 and May 2023, Ngige used his influence to confer unfair advantages upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company linked to his associate, by approving seven NSITF contracts for consultancy, training, and supply.

Further counts include allegations that the former minister accepted gifts amounting to tens of millions of naira, channelled through both a campaign organisation and an ostensible scholarship scheme, all tied to contractors working with the NSITF.

These actions, if proven, violate Sections 17(a) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which criminalise abuse of office for private advantage and the acceptance of gratification by public officials.

The charges do not allege that Ngige stole public funds directly (a technical distinction that his defence emphasised) but they do suggest legal impropriety, circumvention of procurement standards, and a chilling erosion of ethical conduct in public service.

Judicial Response: From Courtroom to Kuje

During proceedings, Ngige entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. Yet even before the trial begins, the court’s decision to remand him to Kuje Correctional Centre underscores the perceived gravity of the offence and the risk the judiciary believes he may pose if released.

Represented by Senior Advocate Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, the former minister’s defence argued that:

“The Constitution guarantees the right to bail and his health needs urgent attention.”

Conversely, EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir, SAN insisted:

“The offences for which the defendant was charged are by no means minor If convicted, he faces nothing less than five years’ imprisonment.”

Justice Hassan fixed the bail hearing for Monday, December 15, a key date that will determine Ngige’s custodial fate pending trial.

Scholarly Perspectives: Why This Case Matters

Legal scholars and anti-corruption experts note that prosecuting high-profile figures like Ngige is essential in breaking the culture of impunity that has long plagued Nigeria’s political class.

Professor Adewale Ojo, a constitutional law expert at the University of Lagos, argues:

“For too long, Nigeria’s public office has been a conduit for personal enrichment rather than national service. Prosecuting leaders sends a message that public trust is not dispensable.”

Similarly, Dr. Nkechi Ibe-Johnson, a public governance analyst, asserts:

“Corruption at this scale erodes not only fiscal integrity but public faith in institutions. A robust legal process here could help restore confidence in Nigeria’s commitment to accountability.”

These expert voices reflect a growing consensus: accountability must be unwavering, even (and especially) when it touches the powerful.

Public Reaction: Divided but Engaged Public commentary on Ngige’s arraignment has been mixed. Sections of the populace view the prosecution as overdue accountability; others see a potential political vendetta or selective justice.

This tension mirrors Nigeria’s broader struggle with corruption perception and enforcement. Transparency International’s most recent Corruption Perceptions Index underscores that nations prone to the perception of elite impunity invariably see a decline in investment and social cohesion.

Broader Implications: Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption Trajectory. The Ngige case arrives at a critical juncture. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has publicly championed anti-graft efforts, yet critics allege inconsistency and selective enforcement.

A landmark concern for governance analysts is not merely the prosecution itself, but whether the trial will proceed with transparency, due process, and impartiality — key ingredients for legal legitimacy.

If Ngige’s case results in a conviction based on clear, constitutional evidence, it could strengthen civil society’s confidence that nobody is above the law. If it falters due to procedural flaws or perceived bias, it may reinforce long-held scepticism about Nigeria’s anti-corruption machinery.

Last Words: A Defining Moment for Justice and Nigeria’s Future. The arraignment of Dr. Chris Ngige on alleged fraud charges is more than a legal proceeding; it is a symbolic battleground for Nigeria’s institutional credibility. It forces the nation to wrestle with uncomfortable questions:

Can Nigeria enforce anti-corruption with equal application across all levels of society?

Will political influence shield the powerful from accountability?

How will the judiciary navigate pressure from both elites and the public?

As the case progresses, the world watches — not merely for a verdict, but for what the verdict signifies about Nigeria’s evolving democratic integrity.

For a nation long battered by corruption scandals, this moment matters profoundly. The outcome will speak loudly about whether Nigeria chooses a culture of impunity or a culture of accountability.

AN OPEN LETTER TO MAJOR GENERAL DH ALI-KEFFI (RTD) 

Major General Danjuma Hamisu Ali-Keffi (Rtd),

I write to you not as an adversary but as a concerned Nigerian and a professional observer of institutional integrity and national security. My voice joins what I suspect is a silent chorus of those who have followed your career trajectory with increasing alarm, not for the positions you held, but for the persistent pattern of conduct that has now escalated into a matter of grave public concern. This is an appeal to your reason, your legacy, and your patriotism.

General, the official records of your service—not rumours, but the documented assessments of your superiors and the findings from the records as narrated by your colleagues —paint a consistent and troubling picture. From your early command, you displayed a pattern of operational insubordination, refusing lawful orders during critical security operations. Your response to correction was never acquiescence or professional dialogue; it was consistently accusatory retaliation, bypassing channels to file petitions against your commanders. This tendency solidified over the years: a reported tolerance for unresolved misconduct within your units, a documented refusal to comply with a major posting order in 2021, and an alleged campaign to incite disloyalty among officers. The military, an institution built on the bedrock of discipline and the chain of command, finally diagnosed you as suffering from “incompetence, indolence, and disloyalty to constituted authority.” Your compulsory retirement was not a casual administrative event; it was the institution’s last-resort surgery to remove a cancerous growth from its command structure.

However, your post-retirement actions have transformed you from an internal institutional danger into a clear national security threat. Your recent public allegation—that the tragic death of former Chief of Army Staff Attahiru – was an assassination orchestrated from within—is the catastrophic culmination of your lifelong pattern. You are no longer merely disobeying a commanding officer; you are now attempting to sabotage the nation’s faith in its own military. By weaving narratives of high-level murder, corruption, and treason without providing verifiable evidence, you achieve several destructive ends:

1. You erode the public trust that is essential for civic stability.

2. You demoralise serving officers who risk their lives daily under this same flag.

3. You provide potent ammunition to Nigeria’s adversaries, both domestic and foreign, who seek to discredit the state.

4. You plant the seeds of discord and conspiracy in the public mind, weakening our collective resilience.

This is not the act of a patriot. It is the final, self-destructive act of a character forever at war with authority, now turning its weapons on the very foundation of the state.

Therefore, I issue a dual call.

To the Nigerian public: Be cautious. Do not mistake General Ali-Keffi’s allegations for brave whistleblowing. Examine the source. He is a man with a documented, decades-long pattern of defying and accusing every authority he has served under. His current claims are not new evidence; they are the latest, most explosive iteration of a well-established personal strategy. To amplify his voice uncritically is to become an accessory in the destabilisation of our national security architecture.

To you, General Ali-Keffi, directly: It is time to look inward. The consistency of your conflict—the perpetual stance of the righteous martyr against every hierarchy, culminating in apocalyptic public claims—suggests a profound psychological distress. The leap from battlefield insubordination to alleging state-sponsored assassination indicates an escalation beyond political grievance into a realm of paranoia and grandiosity that is deeply harmful, first to you, and now to the nation.

I strongly and respectfully advise you to seek immediate and comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and care. This is not a slur, but a recommendation based on the observable, documented trajectory of your behaviour. A skilled professional could help you untangle the roots of this persecutory narrative and this compulsion for public confrontation. True strength lies not in perpetuating a cycle of blame but in having the courage to confront one’s own demons. For the sake of your family, your honour, and the country you once served, silence the destructive public campaign and seek help.

Your legacy is at a crossroads. It can be remembered as that of a brilliant but troubled officer who ultimately sought peace and healing, or as that of a man who, in his final chapter, chose to become a weapon of mass discord against his own nation. Choose the path of restoration.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bernard Achibulus

Asaba, Delta State.

12 December 2025