There may be controversy across the checklist of terror financiers purportedly leaked by the Nigerian Monetary Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and reported on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
Day by day Belief experiences that for practically fifteen years, the federal authorities, proper from the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, and just lately that of Bola Tinubu, have promised to reveal terror financiers within the nation with a view to unravelling the thriller surrounding the menace.
1000’s of individuals have been killed since 2009 when the Boko Haram disaster erupted; and the orgy of violence escalated with the onset of banditry within the North West and components of North Central, in addition to sundry crimes manifesting in several varieties in different components of the nation.
A report by the reporter newspaper on Wednesday, mentioned the federal authorities had uncovered the id of 15 entities, together with 9 people and 6 Bureaus De Change allegedly concerned in terrorism financing.
It mentioned particulars of the event have been revealed by the NFIU, in an e mail despatched on Tuesday night time, entitled “Designation of People and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
It indicated that the doc revealed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, the place particular people and entities have been really helpful for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing.
“The Honourable Lawyer Basic of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the next people and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions Listing,” the doc learn partially.
Though the primary story clearly talked about the Kaduna-based writer, Tukur Mamu, who’s at the moment being tried by the federal authorities for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna prepare in March 2022, an up to date story, which has gone viral on a number of platforms, listed different names and entities.
These embrace: Yusuf Ghazali, Muhammad Sani, Abubakar Muhammad, Sallamudeen Hassan, Adamu Ishak, Hassana-Oyiza Isah, Abdulkareem Musa, and Umar Abdullahi.
It additionally listed six BDCs and companies together with the West and East Africa Basic Buying and selling Firm Restricted, Settings Bureau De Change Restricted, G. Facet Basic Enterprises, Desert Trade Ventures Restricted, Eagle Sq. Basic Buying and selling Firm Restricted and Alfa Trade BDC.
Aside from Mamu, all of the remaining names talked about will not be recognized, and efforts to unravel their identities didn’t yield any consequence as of press time.
NFIU disowns memo
Contacted yesterday to offer extra perception on the event, the Head of Public Affairs, NFIU, Abubakar Abba Ibrahim, mentioned the organisation didn’t challenge any assertion.
One other senior official within the company, Sani Tukur, mentioned on the media WhatsApp platform of the company, “There was no assertion from our workplace sir. I’ve requested round and nobody appears to know the way they received it. I imagine it’s being investigated.”
Additionally contacted to know when the trial of the suspects will start, a senior official within the workplace of the Lawyer Basic of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, mentioned they learn the story.
“We noticed nothing to increase on it as a result of it isn’t new,” the supply mentioned.
The supply additional disclosed that the BDC operators and Tukur Mamu have been in court docket since their indictment in Dubai and arrest in Egypt, respectively.
Arrests began since 2020
Day by day Belief had reported in April 2021, that dozens of individuals have been arrested by safety brokers in an on-going nationwide crackdown on suspected financiers and collaborators of Boko Haram and different prison teams in Nigeria.
5 months earlier, this newspaper had solely reported the jailing of six Nigerians within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allegations of terrorism financing.
It was gathered that the closely-guarded operation was being coordinated by the Defence Intelligence Company (DIA), in collaboration with the Division of State Providers (DSS), NFIU and the Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN).
As a part of the operation, billions of naira traced to companies belonging to individuals of curiosity had been blocked in banks in a sequence of “submit no debit” letters despatched out to banks by the CBN and NFIU. The apex financial institution additionally obtained court docket orders directing freezing of dozens of accounts flagged for suspicious transactions.
A safety supply accustomed to the operation confided in Day by day Belief on the time that the operation began in 2020 with huge gathering and evaluation of economic intelligence and drawing uplink evaluation, resulting in preliminary marking of some 60 companies and people.
The supply mentioned an preliminary checklist of 957 suspects comprising bureau de change operators, gold miners and sellers, and different businessmen, was being acted upon.
Earlier than the crackdown was relaxed, about 400 individuals have been arrested in a sequence of arrests in Kano, Borno, Abuja, Lagos, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kaduna and Zamfara.
Latest leaked findings
Within the newest leaked doc, it was said that Mamu “Participated within the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransom funds over the sum of $200,000 US in help of ISWAP terrorists for the discharge of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna prepare assault.”
The doc mentioned one of many people is “The suspected attacker of the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 and the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja on July 5, 2022.”
One other was described as “A member of the terrorist group, Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is related to Al-Qaeda within the Islamic Maghreb.
“The topic was skilled and served beneath Muktar Belmokhtar, aka One Eyed Out, led Al-Murabitoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.”
The NFIU allegedly mentioned the person “Specialises in designing terrorist clandestine communication code and he’s additionally an Improvised Explosive Gadget knowledgeable.
“The topic was additionally a gatekeeper to ANSARU chief, Mohammed Usman aka Khalid Al-Barnawi. Equally, he was a courier and journey information to AQIM Katibat within the desert of Algeria and Mali. He’s into carpentry. Topic fled Kuje Correctional Centre on July 5, 2022. He’s at the moment at massive.”
One other was recognized as “A senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.”
It mentioned the person “Got here into limelight in 2012, as North Central wing of Boko Haram.
“The group is suspected of the assaults carried out round Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, together with the June 5, 2022 assault on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.”
One other was described as “A monetary courier to ISWAP Okene. She is chargeable for the disbursement of funds to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.”
In response to the doc, one other of the people “In 2015, transferred N60 million to terrorism convicts”, and was mentioned to have “Obtained a sum of N189 million between 2016 and 2018.”
The identical particular person was mentioned to “Personal entities and enterprise reported within the UAE court docket judgment as facilitating the switch of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.”
One other particular person was mentioned to have “Obtained a complete of N57 million from between 2014 and 2017.”
One other was mentioned to have “Had a complete influx of N61.4 billion and a complete outflow of N51.7 billion from his accounts.”
4 of 6 indicted BDCs not registered with CAC
Findings by Day by day Belief revealed that 4 of the six bureaus de change allegedly named by the federal authorities as terrorism financiers are both not registered or have been delisted by the Company Affairs Fee (CAC).
Out of the six BDCs, solely two, specifically Desert Trade Ventures Restricted and Settings Bureau De Change have been seen as registered with CAC though their statuses are inactive.
Subsequently, no outcomes have been discovered for West and East Africa Basic Buying and selling Firm Restricted, G. Facet Basic Enterprises, Eagle Sq. Basic Buying and selling Firm Restricted and Alfa Trade BDC.
This implies they have been both delisted by the CAC or haven’t been registered in any respect.
Desert Trade Ventures Restricted is situated at NO. 18, M. Y. C. Home, Lawan Dambazau Highway, Kano and was integrated on Could 7, 2015, whereas Settings Bureau De Change is situated at NO.43 Ibrahim Taiwo Rd, Kano, and was Included on April 9 2014.
