By Suleiman Umaru
The Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram , the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP and other criminal gangs which over the years , have been receiving funding from individuals and different Organisations including sympathetic Foreign countries to procure arms and sustain their attacks in the north west and other parts of the north are in for trouble. This is because they may no longer be getting such funding with ease as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, tighten up the noose around them.
The CBN may have been given the ammunition to do so by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, which at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari ,a retired Army General, had embarked on an investigations to uncover the terrorist group sources of funding.
Based on the report of the NFIU Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, had said that the killer terrorist Organisations had are link with 133 companies, both within and outside the country, 33 bureau de’change service providers which are financing their operations across the country. The NIFU, was said to have reported hat there 96 sponsors of terrorist Organistations in the country.
The minister may have shocked Nigerians on Thursday, February 3, 20222, when he disclosed that the terrorists Organisations in Nigeria alone had, 424 Associates/ Supporters of the financiers and involvement of 133 Companies including 33 bureau de change, which are paving the way for the terrorists Organisations to gain access to funds to procure arms and ammunitions.
The NIFU was said to have also reported that BokoHaram, and ISWAP, the acclaimed terrorists Organistation operating in the country had returned fraudulently obtained funds totaling $103,722,83, #3,000 and7,695 Singapore dollar and 1,091 Euros to 11 countries of victims who came into the country between 2020 and 2021.
The NIFU was said to have sent 1,165 intelligence reports on cases of corruption , money Laundering, and other seriousoffences to 27 domestic agencies for investigation , prosecution and asset recovery over their link with the terrorists Groups.
The 133 Companies and 33 bureau de change service providers linked to the terrorist Organisations, according to Mohammed were involved in tax evasion and, linked to corruption, totaling N3,909,707,678,112.43 in Value Added Tax, VAT, and N3,737,918,335,785.82 in withholding tax to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The minister had said that that the BokoHaram and ISWAP, particular, equally had intelligence exchanges with 19 countries. The discovry of the sources of funding of these terrorist Organisations by the NIFU, appears to have given Godwin Emefieled CBN , the ammunition to sanction the companies and the 33 bureau de change.
Indeed, not may people were surprised that the NIFU, could go that length to unveil the sponsors of terrorism in the Nigeeria including the 19 Foreign countries that shares intelligence report with BokoHaram and ISWAP. Abubakar Malami, Attorney General and minister of Justice, had said last year that ‘’no stone would be left unturned to name and shame the financiers of terrorism in Nigeria’’.
Prior to the submission of the NIFU report to the office of the minister of Justice, he had said that ‘’investigation to unravel those behind the activities of the insurgents in the north east states of Borno and Yobe had reached advanced . It was not surprising when the NIFU, recently submitted its report that was very revealing.
Recall that in 2021, Babaga Munguno, a retired Major General and National Security Adviser, NSA, has identified Jam’at Naral-Islam Wal Muslimin, JNIM, Islamic and Muslim Support Group, GSIM and ISGS, as groups funding terrorism in Nigeria and other Sahel regions . The United Arab Emirates, UAE, had named six Nigerians in 2021, as terrorist financiers in Nigeria. The Arab nation had designated 38 individuals and 15 persons on approval list of persons and Organisations that are supporting BokoHaram, ISWAP and other terrorism cause in Nigeria. Bt the the NIFU, in its report had identified 96 financiers of terrorism across the country, especially those backing BokoHaram and ISWAP.
With the identification of the 96 individuals, 133 Companies and 33 bureau de change, with links with the terrorist Organisations, across the country may have encouraged the Katsina state born Nigerian President to reassure Nigerians and the international Community, that in the coming months, the north east, particular, will begin to witness a change from the protracted insurgency to peace and development, in their respective Communities. This should gladden the heart of the people who are not tired of getting such promises from the Nigerian President who had repeatedly said that that ‘’his government remains committed to ending terrorism in the north east.
His optimism that there would no failure was based on the fact that of ‘’the high –level coordination team that will adopt building principle s of accountability , delineation of duty and community- driven methods to address the protracted crisis’’.
In line with the retired Army General promise to end terrorism across the country in the coming months may have informed why Farouk Yahaya, a Lt. General and Chief of Army Staff, COAS, has charged ‘’the troops of the north eat, theatre of Operations to be disciplined and alert to end the war against insurgency’’.Perhaps, to ensure that the troops would not be room to Complain why they could not deliver on the retired Army General promise, the Army Chief , who was on a visit to Borno , on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, was said to have assured the troops, and others, which Abdulsami Abubakar, a retired Army General and former Head of State, have been overstretched , that Administrative and Operational challenges confronting their various units will be given the desired attention to deliver on their mandate’’. Sani Usman , a retired Brigadier General and former Army spokesperson is happy that the military had succeeded in dismantling the BokoHaram and ISWAP Caliphate in the north east which should gladden the people’s min.
The retired Bridadier General noted that what is require now is ‘’to build on the gains that had been achieved over the last two decades rather than denigrating the efforts of the military. He cited the case of Babaga Zulum, a Professor and governor of Borno who will ‘’commend the military when he is in their midst but head to the Seat of Power, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, propose something contrast’’, meaning speaking on the other side of his mouth.
The former Army spokesperson had call on those advocating for hiring of mercenaries to confront BokoHaram, ISWAP AND Bandits Group, fighters , in different parts of the north to bury the thought, stressing that ‘’the country has all that it takes the defend its territories and defeat the terrorists.
