Al-Manar Foundation Scandal: How CAC Registrar-General Magaji Appoints Terrorism-Linked Cleric As Manager 

A storm of controversy is swirling around the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), threatening to engulf the agency in a scandal of significant proportions. At the heart of the matter lies the appointment of Dr. Nazifi Yunus as the interim manager of the Al-Manar Education and Development Foundation, a move that has ignited a firestorm of criticism and raised serious questions about the regulatory overreach of the CAC Registrar-General, Ishaq Husaini Magaji, SAN.

Cableneww24 reports that this unfolding drama comes at a particularly sensitive juncture for Nigeria. The administration of President Bola Tinubu is actively striving to project an image of institutional discipline and transparency on the global stage, especially amidst heightened international scrutiny of the nation’s governance structures. However, the actions of the CAC, under the leadership of Magaji, have instead cast a shadow of doubt, drawing renewed allegations of abuse of office, conflicts of interest, and a blatant disregard for established due process.

The seeds of this controversy were sown when the CAC, acting under Magaji’s direct authority, issued a letter dated September 10, 2025. This letter, now a central piece of evidence in court documents filed at the Federal High Court, unilaterally suspended the entire board of trustees of Al-Manar, an incorporated religious trust that has long served as a pillar of the Kaduna community. The letter went on to announce the appointment of interim managers, hand-picked by the commission itself, to take control of the foundation’s affairs.

According to the court filings, the removal of the trustees was carried out with shocking disregard for basic principles of fairness and justice. The trustees were given no prior notice of the impending action, nor were they afforded an opportunity to be heard in their own defense. Furthermore, their removal occurred despite the fact that their terms of office had not yet expired, raising serious questions about the legality and legitimacy of the CAC’s actions.

“This was a unilateral action taken in total violation of natural justice,” stated a source intimately familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source described the move as an egregious example of “regulatory power exercised without process,” suggesting that the CAC had overstepped its bounds and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

But the troubling allegations did not end there. Shortly after the suspension of the board, sworn affidavits surfaced, alleging that letters had been dispatched to Al-Manar’s banks, seeking to alter the authorized signatories on the foundation’s accounts. These documents further allege that access to the foundation’s substantial funds was being redirected towards an individual described as a “family associate” of the Registrar-General, raising the specter of potential financial impropriety.

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Legal observers have expressed grave concerns about these actions, arguing that they far exceed the CAC’s legitimate supervisory role. “That is not regulation; that is control,” remarked a senior lawyer closely following the case. “No regulator has the authority to take over bank accounts without a court order. Such actions, if proven, would constitute a serious abuse of power and a violation of the foundation’s rights.”

However, it is the appointment of Dr. Nazifi Yunus as interim manager that has drawn the most intense and widespread criticism. A cursory review of public records reveals a deeply troubling history: Yunus was arrested and prosecuted by Nigerian security agencies between 2013 and 2014 over alleged links to the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group. While it is true that no public conviction or formal exoneration is on record, the mere association with such a dangerous organization raises serious red flags.

It is important to note that at the time of Yunus’s arrest, civil society groups criticized what they described as indiscriminate arrests of Islamic scholars, and Yunus himself vehemently denied the allegations against him. However, security analysts argue that his past alone should have triggered extreme caution on the part of the CAC.

“This is about risk assessment and perception,” one analyst explained. “You don’t place someone once accused of terror links in charge of a mosque’s finances. It sends the wrong message and undermines public trust.”

Community leaders connected to Al-Manar have voiced their outrage and frustration, stating that they were neither consulted nor informed before the appointment of Yunus. “This was imposed on us,” one trustee lamented. “It disregarded our autonomy, our faith, and our right to manage our own institution.”

Adding fuel to the fire, court filings further allege that Dr. Yunus has close family ties to Magaji, the Registrar-General, raising serious questions about potential conflicts of interest. While personal relationships are not inherently illegal, governance experts warn that public office demands a strict adherence to ethical standards and a commitment to maintaining distance from any situation that could create the appearance of impropriety.

“The appearance of impropriety here is overwhelming,” a former regulator noted. “Even if there is no direct evidence of wrongdoing, the perception of a conflict of interest is enough to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the process.”

The controversy has intensified amid reports that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had previously intervened in related matters involving the CAC, suggesting that concerns about the agency’s conduct had already reached the highest levels of government. Despite this, Magaji reportedly granted media interviews defending his actions, a stance that critics have described as defiant and dismissive of the serious concerns that have been raised.

“This is not about Al-Manar alone anymore,” a constitutional lawyer asserted. “It goes to the heart of how regulatory power is exercised and whether officials believe they are bound by the same laws as everyone else. If regulators are allowed to act with impunity, it undermines the entire rule of law.”

As of this writing, the CAC has not formally responded to the specific allegations contained in the court filings. However, insiders say that the matter is already causing significant damage to the commission’s credibility and reinforcing perceptions of institutional recklessness. The scandal threatens to erode public trust in the agency’s ability to carry out its mandate fairly and impartially.

As the case proceeds through the courts, observers stress that no findings of guilt have yet been made and that the courts will ultimately determine the legality of the CAC’s actions. However, many argue that the pattern of behavior revealed by the documents points to a deeper governance problem within the agency, one that requires urgent attention and reform.

“For a country struggling to rebuild trust in public institutions, this is a dangerous signal,” one civil society advocate warned. “Power without restraint is not regulation – it is capture. And when regulatory agencies are captured by personal interests or political agendas, it undermines the very foundations of a just and equitable society.” The Al-Manar Foundation scandal serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency, accountability, and adherence to due process in all aspects of government, and the need for vigilance in safeguarding the integrity of public institutions.

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