The Federal Government has released a list of 15 entities allegedly involved in financing terrorism, comprising nine individuals and six Bureaux De Change (BDCs) operators and firms.
According to information disclosed by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in an email to The Punch on Tuesday, titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024,” the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened on March 18, 2024. During the meeting, specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanctions due to their purported involvement in terrorism financing.
Among those named in the document is Tukur Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher currently on trial for allegedly aiding the terrorists responsible for the March 2022 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.
Additionally, the list includes a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, reportedly associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Described as specializing in designing clandestine communication codes and serving as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert, this individual is also implicated as a gatekeeper to ANSARU leader Mohammed Usman, known as Khalid Al-Bamawi.
Furthermore, he is alleged to have acted as a courier and travel guide to the AQIM Katibat in the deserts of Algeria and Mali. This individual escaped from Kuje Correctional Centre on July 5, 2022, and is currently at large.
Another individual cited for financing terrorism is described as a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) based in Okene. This individual gained prominence in 2012 as part of the North Central wing of Boko Haram.
The identification of these entities underscores the government’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism financing within the country.