15 terrorism financiers, BDCs Exposed, FG Reveals Next Nove

The identity of 15 entities, 9 individuals, 6 Bureau De Change operators as well as firms, allegedly involved in financing terrorism across the nation, has been exposed by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to reports, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in an email forwarded to journalists on Tuesday night, entitled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”

______It was gathered that the official document made it known that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee has deliberated over this issue on March 18, 2024, where specific sanctions were recommended for individuals and entities involved in terrorism financing.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List,” the document read in part.

___,,According to the report, among the entity named in the document was a Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, who is currently being tried by the Federal Government for allegedly financed the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.

The document also have it that Mamu “participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransome payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.”

___,,,In addition, the document disclosed that one of the individuals is “the suspected attacker of the St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 and the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja on July 5, 2022.”
Another was described as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

“The subject was trained and served under Muktar Belmokhtar, aka One Eyed Out, led Al-Murabtoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.”

______The report further revealed that the NFIU highlighted the individual “specialises in designing terrorist clandestine communication code and he is also Improvised Explosive Device expert.

“The subject was also a gate keeper to ANSARU leader, Mohammed Usman aka Khalid Al-Bamawi. Equally, he was a courier and travel guide to AQIM Katibat in the desert of Algeria and Mali. He is into carpentry. Subject fled Kuje correctional centre on July 5, 2022. He is currently at large.”

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Further revelation says another person identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.”

According to the agency, the individual “came into limelight in 2012 as North Central wing of Boko Haram.

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“The group is suspected of the attacks carried out around Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.”
Another was described as “a financial courier to ISWAP Okene. She is responsible for the disbursement of funds to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.”

_____,It was gathered from the document that, another individuals “in 2015, transferred N60m to terrorism convicts.”

It was also revealed that he “received a sum of N189m between 2016 and 2018.”

That same person was also alleged to “own entities and business reported in the UAE court judgment as facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.”

From the document, another individual was said to have “received a total of N57m from between 2014 and 2017.”

______Another was said to have “had a total inflow of N61.4 bn and a total outflow of N51.7bn from his accounts.”

The document further revealed that, in accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, institutions and individuals are required to:

______“(a) immediately, identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in your possession and report same to the Sanctions Committee”.

______“(b) report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements”.

“(c) immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU for further analysis on the financial activities of such an individual or entity”. and

“(d) report as a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU, all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this List”.

____,,,The document asserted; “The freezing obligation required above shall extend to

“(a) all funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by the designated persons and entities, and not only those that are tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing”;

“(b) those funds or other assets that are wholly or jointly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by designated persons or entities”;

_______“(c) the funds or other assets derived or generated from funds or other assets owned or controlled directly or indirectly by designated persons or entities”; and

“(d) funds or other assets of persons and entities acting on behalf of, or at the direction of designated persons or entities.”

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