Bilkisu Adejoh
Nigeria continues to be a major center of organized criminal activity in the West African region.
Countering the financing of terrorism is a highly complex endeavour that involves many different actors.
It is in view of this that the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) on Wednesday organized a stakeholders’ Dialogue on Preventing Terrorism Financing and Violent Extremism in Nigeria
Speaking during the dialogue, Auwal Ibrahim Musa(Rafsanjani), Executive Director of CISLAC, echoed concerns over the escalating financing of terrorist activities in Nigeria, citing adverse global terrorism indices and recent government identifications of entities involved in terrorism financing.
“The financial sector has been exploited for terrorism financing. The use of the financial sector indicates the increasing capabilities of some terrorist groups. These include the Bureau de Change operators, Point of Sale (POS) devices, wire transfers, and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions, among other enabling platforms expanding the scope and depth of terrorism financing.
Rafsanjani stressed the need for collective action among stakeholders to combat terrorism and its adverse effects on poverty rates and internal displacement in the country.
He hinted that the lack of control and monitoring of border makes terrorists, as well as small arms and light weapons, to infiltrate the country rapidly.
Rafsanjani, stressed the imperative of strengthening security measures at borders by Nigerian authorities to prevent the inflow of funds and resources for terrorist activities
CISLAC Boss expressed that dialogue remains critical to galvanise all-inclusive conversation on the thematic focus, giving the recurring threats to lives and property of many Nigerians, occasioned by terrorism and violent extremism that have hitherto bedeviled the country
“You would all agree with me that terrorism constitutes a global threat, and Nigeria, unfortunately, is one of the countries that faces a high level of terrorism.
“While attempts to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the country continue, policy attention has been shifted towards many sources of terrorism financing, which have continued to fuel terrorism and other violent conflicts in Nigeria.
“Without doubt, terrorism finance is the backbone of terrorist groups as funds go into buying weapons, recruiting militants, and operating terrorist organisations. Just as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) puts it, ‘terrorist groups need money to sustain themselves and carry out terrorist acts.” He added
Also speaking, the Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Mr. Edwin Harris Jr., emphasised the urgent need for decisive action to address the proliferation of violent extremism and terrorism across the ECOWAS region.
Harris stressed the essential nature of addressing terrorism financing, highlighting its pivotal role in debilitating extremist groups’ operational capacities and restoring peace and security to the ECOWAS region
“Nigeria has immensely benefited from GIABA capacity building programmes, sometimes the gaps in our lifes is the gap of knowledge when we build capacity we close the gaps.” He said
“The primary mandate of GIABA is to develop measures to protect the economies of member States from abuse and the laundering of the proceeds of crimes and to strengthen cooperation among its member states.”
The Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),Ola Olukoyede assured settling for the use of technology to combat illicit flow of monies into the hands of terrorists
“How do we explain the action of unscrupulous actors who hide under the cover of humanitarian activities to fund terrorist groups? These are issues that we must continue to interrogate.
“The EFCC has had cause to prosecute so-called promoters of non-profit organisation who exploited the desperate conditions in the North-East to profiteer. I am sure many of you are aware of a lady that is called Mama Boko Haram, who at the peak of the insurgency positioned herself as a credible intermediary for the insurgents, but is now in jail for exploiting the distressed citizens of the North-East for personal gain.
Speaking further, the Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
Dr. Aliyu emphasized ICPC’s readiness to lead collaborative efforts with international partners, law enforcement agencies and financial institutions noting that ICPC’s efforts not only align with its mandate to prevent and combat corruption but also play a crucial role in safeguarding national and global security against the scourge of terrorism
He outlined the Commission’s determination to dismantle intricate networks facilitating illicit financial flows, which sustain terrorism through arms procurement, terrorist recruitment and operational logistics.