The Nigerian government has published a list of 15 organizations, including nine people and six foreign exchange operators and corporations, accused in supporting terrorism. This material was made public by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
A document marked “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024,” indicated that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on the same day. During this discussion, certain persons and businesses were suggested for penalties owing to their role in funding terrorism.
The paper read, “With the President’s approval, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation has designated the following individuals and entities to be included in the Nigeria Sanctions List.”
One of the persons named is Tukur Mamu, a publisher located in Kaduna. Mamu is now standing trial by the Federal Government for allegedly supporting the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022. The statement says that Mamu “facilitated terrorism financing by receiving and transferring ransom payments exceeding $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.”
The paper also names a man as “the suspected perpetrator of the attacks on St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022, and the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja on July 5, 2022.”
Another man is identified as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. This guy was trained and served under Muktar Belmokhtar, alias One Eyed Out, who headed the Al-Murabtoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.”
The NFIU reported that this guy “specializes in creating clandestine communication codes for terrorists and is also an expert in Improvised Explosive Devices. He also worked as a gatekeeper to ANSARU chief, Mohammed Usman alias Khalid Al-Bamawi. Additionally, he was a courier and tour guide to AQIM Katibat in the desert areas of Algeria and Mali. He works as a carpenter and escaped from the Kuje correctional institution on July 5, 2022. He is presently on the run.”
Another guy was named as “a high-ranking commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.” The agency added that this guy “rose to prominence in 2012 as a member of the North Central wing of Boko Haram. The organization is accused of carrying out assaults in the Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.”
Another guy was characterized as “a financial courier to ISWAP Okene. She is in charge of disbursing monies to the widows/wives of the terrorist warriors of the group.”
According to the paper, another person “transferred N60m to convicted terrorists in 2015.” He was also said to have “received a sum of N189m between 2016 and 2018.” This individual is stated to “own businesses and entities reported in the UAE court judgment as facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.”
Another person was said to have “received a total of N57m between 2014 and 2017.” Another person was said to have “had a total inflow of N61.4 bn and a total outflow of N51.7bn from his accounts.”