By Mohammed Bello Doka
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has brought to light the alleged financing of terrorist operations within Nigeria by groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), bandits, and other terror organizations. According to the NFIU's Counter-Financing of Terrorism Department, IPOB has been found to receive funds from affiliates in 22 countries, with at least 27 entities registered under its name, seven of which are in the United States and six in the United Kingdom.
An analysis by the NFIU revealed that over $160,000 raised through crowdfunding for IPOB was directed to transmission, media, and broadcasting companies in Bulgaria, South Africa, and the UK. The group was found to maintain multiple bank accounts across different countries, where funds labeled as "monthly dues," "services," and for the "ESN" were received and later utilized for various operations.
Furthermore, the NFIU disclosed that a betting platform flagged a suspicious transaction involving a 24-year-old Nigerian from the North-Central region, suspected of receiving ransom money from a kidnapping. Another instance highlighted an individual attempting to evade detection by making structured cash withdrawals from ATMs and purchasing flight tickets to high-risk areas using credit cards.
The NFIU emphasized the need for law enforcement agencies to investigate transactions by individuals associated with known terrorists or financiers, unauthorized tax collections, and forced donations in terrorism-prone regions. Additionally, it urged scrutiny of Bureau de Change operators facilitating transfers within suspected networks, multiple cash deposits in bank accounts, large deposits followed by immediate cash withdrawals at Point of Sale terminals, money transfers from Nigeria to high-risk countries, recruitment of individuals for opening multiple bank accounts, and financial transfers to charities linked to terrorism.
The revelations underscore the importance of international cooperation and diligent oversight in combating the financing of terrorism, with the NFIU's findings serving as a call to action for enhanced vigilance and enforcement measures.
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