Nigeria’s House of Representatives has called on the federal government to disclose the financiers behind terrorism and banditry in the country. The resolution followed a plenary session on Wednesday, where lawmakers adopted a report from last week’s security debate.
During the session, legislators highlighted the government’s past efforts to combat terrorism financing, noting that in 2022, authorities identified 100 high-risk financiers linked to Boko Haram. Then-Minister of Interior under the Buhari administration, Rauf Aregbesola, revealed at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in India that these financiers had connections to at least ten countries.
Represented by his aide Abdulmalik Suleiman, Aregbesola emphasized the role of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in supporting intelligence, security, and military agencies. “The NFIU’s collaboration with regional and international counterparts, particularly through the Egmont Group of FIUs, remains a key asset for Nigeria,” he said.
The analysis by NFIU led to the arrest of 48 suspected financiers, with several others undergoing prosecution. The federal government has also previously arrested operators of 400 Bureaux De Change for allegedly transferring funds to terrorist groups.
However, officials including former presidential spokesman Garba Shehu and ex-Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN) stressed that public disclosure of suspects’ identities is constrained by constitutional rights and the presumption of innocence. Malami explained that suspects’ names are typically made public at the point of judicial arraignment, ensuring compliance with legal procedures.
The House of Representatives’ call for transparency underscores growing public demand for accountability in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism financing and banditry.
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