BREAKING: FG Confirms Plans to Expose Terrorism Financiers in Nigeria

The Federal Government has confirmed that efforts are underway to expose and prosecute individuals financing terrorism in Nigeria.

NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“The process is ongoing. I can speak for this government… but because it involves legal matters and international connections, it takes time. Some of the funds originate from outside Nigeria, and we cannot resolve everything internally,” Musa said.

According to him, local collaborators often serve as middlemen by recruiting individuals, providing them with motorcycles, and ensuring daily deposits into designated accounts. He noted that security agencies are already tracking these financial channels.

The CDS commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for exposing money trails linked to terrorist networks. “The NFIU has been doing a lot. Beyond intelligence gathering, financial links are being traced and arrests have been made. I can assure you that the Attorney-General of the Federation and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, are working diligently to address this issue,” he stated.

Musa further revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and other security bodies are also monitoring politicians suspected of sponsoring insecurity.

“You know criminals collaborate. Bandits and terrorists work together because they share a common goal—money and destabilisation. Politics also plays a role. When there is peace, government is seen as performing, but when insecurity rises, the reverse is assumed. Unfortunately, some individuals are exploiting this for political advantage,” he explained.

While declining to provide specific names, the CDS confirmed that progress is being made to identify political actors funding terrorism.

He also called for reforms in the justice system, including the establishment of special courts to expedite terrorism cases and the introduction of stiffer penalties for offenders.