The Nigerian Sanctions Committee has revealed the names of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change firms, that have been sanctioned for alleged terrorism financing, in line with the Federal Government's directive.
The nine individuals under sanctions are
1. Tukur Mamu
2. Yusuf Ghazali
3. Muhammad Sani
4. Abubakar Muhammad
5. Sallamudeen Hassan
6. Adamu Ishak
7. Hassana-Oyiza Isah
8. Abdulkareem Musa,
9. Umar Abdullahi
The six BDCs and firms are
10. West and East Africa General Trading Company Limited
11. Settings Bureau De Change Limited
12. G. Side General Enterprises
13. Desert Exchange Ventures Limited
14. Eagle Square General Trading Company Limited
15. Alfa Exchange BDC.
Details of the development were provided by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in an email sent to our correspondent on Tuesday night, titled “Designation of Individuals and Entities for March 18, 2024.”
The document revealed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing.
“The document read in part that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List.”
The document states that a Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, who is currently being tried by the Federal Government for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022, was at the top of the list of individuals named.
According to the document, Mamu “took part in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransom payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.”
The document mentioned that one of the individuals 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.”
Another was described as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
“The subject was trained and served under Muktar Belmokhtar, aka One Eyed Out, led Al-Murabtoun Katibat of AQIM in Algeria and Mali.”
The NFIU said the individual “specializes in designing terrorist clandestine communication code and he is also Improvised Explosive Device expert.
He is also a gatekeeper to ANSARU leader, Mohammed Usman aka Khalid Al-Bamawi, and was a courier and travel guide to AQIM Katibat in the desert of Algeria and Mali. He fled Kuje correctional centre on July 5, 2022, and is currently at large.
Another was identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province in Okene.”
The agency stated that the individual “gained prominence in 2012 as the North Central wing of Boko Haram.
“The group is suspected of the attacks carried out around Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.”
Another person was said to be 'a financial messenger to ISWAP Okene. She is in charge of giving out money to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.'
As per the document, another of the people 'in 2015, moved N60m to terrorism convicts.'
He was also mentioned to have 'received a total of N189m between 2016 and 2018.'
The same individual is believed to 'own companies and business reported in the UAE court judgment as helping the transfer of terrorist funds from Dubai to Nigeria.'
Another person was found to have 'received a total of N57m from between 2014 and 2017.'
Another was stated to have 'had a total inflow of N61.4 bn and a total outflow of N51.7bn from his accounts.'
The document also disclosed that, in line with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, institutions and individuals are mandated to:
'(a) right away, identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in your possession and report the same to the Sanctions Committee;'
'(b) report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements.'
'(c) immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU for further scrutiny on the financial activities of such an individual or entity; and'
'(d) report as a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU, all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this List.'
It stated, 'The freezing obligation required above shall extend to'
'(a) all funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by the designated persons and entities, and not only those that are tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing;'
'(b) those funds or other assets that are wholly or jointly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by designated persons or entities;'
'(c) the funds or other assets derived or generated from funds or other assets owned or controlled directly or indirectly by designated persons or entities; and'
'(d) funds or other assets of persons and entities acting on behalf of, or at the direction of designated persons or entities.'
