Security Agencies Invite Six Individuals, Three Firms Over Alleged Terrorism Financing

Security agencies have invited six individuals and three companies recently designated by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee over alleged terrorism financing.

The invitation followed the designation of the suspects by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), which also ordered the freezing of all funds, assets and economic resources linked to them.

The NFIU said the action was in line with the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Speaking at a joint media briefing by security, defence and law enforcement agencies in Abuja on Thursday, an NFIU official, Kingsley Amaku, said the designations followed intelligence gathering, financial investigations and inter-agency assessments.

Amaku named the affected individuals as Muktar Muhammad Adamu, Ibrahim Yakubu Ogirima, Adamu Chiroma, Ibrahim Abubakar, Abdullahi Umar Usman and Babangida Muhammed Adamu Hammajam.

He identified the affected companies as Abbal Bako & Sons Bureau De Change Limited, Generation Currency BDC Limited and Nine to Nine BDC Limited.

Amaku said financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions had been directed to immediately identify and freeze assets linked to the designated persons and companies.

“Their designations by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee followed extensive intelligence gathering, financial investigations and inter-agency assessments which established reasonable grounds to suspect their involvement in financing, facilitating or supporting terrorist activities,” Amaku said.

The NFIU official added that Muktar Muhammad Adamu, Generation Currency BDC Limited and Nine to Nine BDC Limited had also been sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over their alleged role in supporting terrorist financing.

He said the coordinated sanctions showed growing collaboration between Nigeria and international partners in disrupting terrorist financing networks and protecting the integrity of the country’s financial system.

Vanguard gathered that the individuals and companies were invited by relevant security agencies as investigations continue into their alleged links to ISWAP and affiliated terrorist networks.