FG Releases 15 Terrorism Financiers, BDCs, Plans Sanctions

The Federal Government has announced the identification of 15 entities, consisting of nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, purportedly linked to financing terrorism.

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit disclosed the specifics of this development in an email sent to our correspondent on Tuesday night, titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”

The document disclosed that on March 18, 2024, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened, recommending specific individuals and entities for sanctions due to their engagement in financing terrorism.

“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.

One of the individuals listed in the document is Tukur Mamu, a publisher based in Kaduna, who is presently undergoing trial by the Federal Government for allegedly assisting the terrorists responsible for the March 2022 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train.

As per the document, Mamu allegedly contributed to terrorism financing by receiving and transferring ransom payments totaling over $200,000 US dollars to support ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

According to the document, one of the individuals is believed to be the assailant responsible for the attacks on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022, and the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja on July 5, 2022.

One individual was identified as a member of the terrorist organization Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, which is linked to 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 NFIU said 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.”

Another was identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.”
The agency said, the individual “came into limelight in 2012 as North Central wing of Boko Haram.

“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.”

According to the document, another of the individuals “in 2015, transferred N60m to terrorism convicts.”
He was also said to have “received a sum of N189m  between 2016 and 2018.”

The same person is said to “own entities and business reported in the UAE court judgment as facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.”

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. ”

It said the “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.”