Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has accused Senator Abdul’aziz Yari of financing terrorism in Zamfara State, alleging that the former governor uses the activities to shield his alleged gold-mining operations.
Adebayo made the allegation while speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, amid renewed political debate over insecurity, illegal mining and the 2027 general elections.
According to the SDP presidential candidate, the alleged relationship between terrorism and gold mining in Zamfara raises questions about the commitment of the political establishment to ending insecurity in the North-West.
Adebayo also alleged that proceeds from the purported gold-mining activities were being used to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
The allegations come shortly after Tinubu appointed Yari Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
However, the allegations against Yari have not been independently established. No credible evidence identified in the available reporting shows that Yari finances terrorism or operates a gold-mining enterprise for that purpose.
A June 2026 report by The Guardian, citing an APC chieftain, said claims linking Yari to a gold consignment seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were false and malicious. The report also stated that the EFCC had not publicly linked Yari to the seizure or announced charges against him in connection with the matter.
An independent fact-check published in 2024 similarly found an earlier viral claim that Ghanaian authorities had intercepted hundreds of gold bars allegedly belonging to Yari to be unsubstantiated, with no official confirmation from Nigerian or Ghanaian authorities.
Nevertheless, the broader connection between illicit gold mining and insecurity in Zamfara is documented.
A 2025 investigation by TheCable reported that gold extracted from areas controlled by armed groups in Zamfara had become part of an illicit economy used to obtain weapons. The investigation reported accounts of bandits exchanging gold for firearms and described illegal mining as an important source of financing for armed groups in parts of the North-West.
Another investigation published in June 2026 also documented the role of illicit gold mining in sustaining terrorism and criminal networks across the Sahel, including the movement of gold from mining areas in Zamfara into regional trading routes.
Those findings, however, concern illegal mining and armed groups generally and do not establish that Yari is involved in the activities described.
Yari, who represents Zamfara West Senatorial District in the Senate, previously served as Governor of Zamfara State. His current National Assembly profile confirms his representation of Zamfara West under the APC.
The latest allegation therefore remains a political claim by Adebayo requiring evidence and response from Yari or the relevant security and law-enforcement authorities before it can be treated as established fact.
The development comes as political parties and major political figures intensify their preparations for the 2027 elections, with the APC already constituting its presidential campaign council and assigning Yari a leading role in the campaign structure.
