The former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division and head of the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW) made the disclosures in a detailed account of internal power struggles, alleged sabotage, and policy decisions which, according to him, undermined the fight against terrorism and banditry under the previous administration.
Ali-Keffi alleged that his troubles began shortly after his appointment as Commander of the OSW, a specialised inter-agency operation focused on terrorism financing and high-level intelligence.
He said his appointment was based on the recommendation of the heads of Nigeria’s intelligence agencies. The process reportedly angered the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.
“Furthermore, Gen Tukur Buratai was unhappy with my appointment as the Commander OSW right from the start. I was recommended by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DG DSS), the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (DG NIA), the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) and the Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (Director NFIU) based on my experience and performance,” he said.
So, Gen Buratai, who was the COAS at the time did not have any input in my recommendation and he didn’t hide his annoyance with my appointment.”
He recounted a tense late-night meeting at Buratai’s Flag House residence in November 2020, shortly after his appointment was announced at a National Security Council meeting.
During the encounter, Buratai reportedly questioned his suitability for the role, argued that the assignment should have gone to Army Headquarters, and instructed him to hand over all intelligence gathered by the agencies so the Army could execute the task within 48 hours without the OSW.
The meeting ended abruptly, and he was dismissed from the residence.
He went further to say that it was wrong of the President to have given me the appointment. He continued that the task should have been given to the Army HQ. He then directed that a laptop will be given to me and I should download the entire information given to me by the intelligence agencies, he said.
He then said that the Nigerian Army would carry out the task within 48 hours without the OSW. He then dismissed me and I left the Flag House.
Ali-Keffi said the atmosphere suggested the conversation was being recorded.
That night, he said he told the presidential liaison that he wished to be relieved of the assignment. But two days later, Buratai summoned him again.
The Buratai that I met was a completely different person,
“He was full of praises for me and said that he would support the OSW with funds and logistics.
Although the Army Chief later approved vehicles for OSW, he said he declined them because he suspected they might be compromised.
I declined to accept the vehicles as I suspected that would either have trackers mounted on them or booby trapped,” he said.
Alleged assassination plot and U.S. intervention
Ali-Keffi further claimed the previous administration attempted to frame him for treason after his arrest and detention.
Upon my arrest and detention, the OSW got credible intelligence report that the previous administration wanted to frame me up on trump up charges of treason and execute me through either lethal injection or poisoning,” he said.
He said OSW alerted a Western ally, prompting diplomatic intervention.
The US government then dispatched Anthony Blinken (then-U.S. Secretary of State) to visit Nigeria two weeks into m y detention to warn them not to harm me,” he said.
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