FG Names Gumi’s Ally and 14 Others as Terrorism Financiers

By Ngbede James

In a move to curb terrorism financing, the Nigerian government has announced the designation of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators, for their alleged involvement in funding terrorist activities.

The decision, revealed in an email to the Punch Newspaper on Tuesday titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024,” by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, follows recommendations made by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee during its meeting on March 18, 2024.

The document disclosed that among those implicated is Tukur Mamu, a Kaduna-based publisher currently facing prosecution by the federal government for his alleged role in aiding terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022.

Mamu, known as a strong ally of controversial Islamic cleric Sheik Gumi, is accused of facilitating ransom payments totaling over $200,000 US to ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.

Furthermore, one of the individuals mentioned in the document is identified as the suspected attacker of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on June 5, 2022, and the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja on July 5, 2022.

Another individual is described as a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, with expertise in terrorist communication codes and improvised explosive devices.

The document also names a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) based in Okene, who has been linked to attacks in the North Central region since 2012, including the assault on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo.

Additionally, a financial courier to ISWAP in Okene, responsible for disbursing funds to the wives of terrorist fighters, and individuals involved in transferring substantial sums of money to terrorism convicts and entities facilitating the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria, are among those designated by the government.

In accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, financial institutions and individuals are required to freeze any funds, assets, or economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in their possession and report them to the Sanctions Committee.

They are also mandated to file Suspicious Transactions Reports to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for further analysis on the financial activities of the designated individuals or entities.