The Nigerian Government has named 15 entities, consisting of nine individuals and six Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and firms, allegedly involved in terrorism financing.
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) disclosed this in an email sent to PUNCH titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
According to the document, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened on March 18, 2024, and proposed specific individuals and entities for sanctions due to their suspected roles in terrorism financing.
The document further indicated that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the President’s approval, designated these individuals and entities for inclusion on the Nigeria Sanctions List.
Among the named individuals is Tukur Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher currently facing trial by the Federal Government for his alleged involvement in aiding terrorists responsible for the March 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
Mamu is accused of engaging in terrorism financing by facilitating ransom payments exceeding $200,000 US to support ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages from the attack.
The document also dentified another individual as the suspected perpetrator of the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, and the July 5, 2022, incident at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja.
Furthermore, one individual is described as a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
The NFIU Highlighted the expertise of one individual in designing terrorist clandestine communication codes and serving as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert.
It also implicated a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province in Okene for their involvement in terrorist attacks across the Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone.
Moreover, the document sheds light on the financial activities of several individuals, including fund transfers and ownership of entities facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.
The NFIU underscores the obligation of institutions and individuals under Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, to freeze and report all funds, assets, and economic resources associated with designated persons and entities.
This freezing obligation encompasses all assets owned or controlled by designated individuals and entities, including those connected to specific acts of terrorism or terrorism financing, jointly owned or controlled assets, and funds derived from assets owned or controlled by designated individuals or entities.