Terror financiers’ list: Nigerians task FG on decisive action

…Warn against absorption of ‘repentant’ terrorists by military

Since the April release of the list of the financiers of terrorism across the country, commendations have been trailing the bold move by the Federal Government, which has repeatedly promised to release the list over a decade, until now.

In 2020, when the United Arab Emirates released the first-ever list of terrorism financiers, which included six Nigerian citizens, many were not happy over the government’s lukewarm attitude at furthering the investigation and fishing their collaborators, and other financiers across the country.

Following the release, many observers lauded the effort, but argue that it does not necessarily signal the Federal Government’s readiness to step on toes, as releasing the list without prosecuting the financiers amounts to fruitless effort.

“Nigerians are tired of waking up every day to hear the bad news of killings, abductions and sacking of villages. We need action and the list is a step forward and many more positive steps should follow to apprehend and prosecute the financiers,” Yohanna Pam, an Abuja-based lawyer, urged.

According to the Langtang-born Plateau State commercial lawyer and agro-industrialist, having overcome the fear of releasing the list after many years, the federal government should not relent in corresponding moves, especially the prosecution of the financiers.

“The government should make the prosecution of the financiers a public event. It should be like the days of firing squads for robbers and give Nigerians a reason to believe in your efforts at fighting insecurity,” he suggested.

“If the government claims that accounts of the financiers have been frozen, the banks should confirm and tell Nigerians that people should visit the bureau de change operators mentioned on the list to see if they are still operating, when prosecuted and jailed, let Nigerians know, and it should be maximum prison and not the ones they will say there is a jailbreak.”

Toeing the same vein, Yahuza Getso, a terrorism research and community-based crimes consultant, noted that with the list released, there should be marching actions and follow-ups to consolidate on the good efforts.

According to him, agencies fighting terrorism and their collaborators need the list to identify the financiers and to fast track the end of their terror in the country.

“With the list, we can resolve this matter within 17–32 days,” Getso said, while noting further that there are foreigners, but the number is very small.

“They come through the Lake Chad Basin belt. But most of the ones operating within the North-Central, North-East and many parts of North-West are Nigerians. We have heard some people, for instance, in Katsina and other places, saying that they are in dialogue with the terrorists for a ceasefire,” Getso said.

“I repeat, if the Nigerian government will be sincere and transparent in the fight of insecurity, in less than 32 days insecurity will be over because some of the terrorists will surrender their arms and those who are not ready will face a kinetic approach. It is very simple.”

On his part, Peremo Alasiagha, a university don, commended the government for releasing the list, and like others, noted that the action taken going forward matters the most as Nigerians want the government to go after the financiers, their funds, their investments, properties and even their families.

“I have a student who came from the University of Jos in my class because his parents can afford moving him to a school in a safer environment. What about others whose parents cannot, what about students of University of Maiduguri, Minna, Zaria and other insecurity hotbeds,” he said.

“So, if our authorities progress to another decisive step, keep the pressure on terrorism funds and networks, insecurity will decline and safety will return to the benefit of every Nigeria and to Nigeria as a nation because the menace has taken a huge toll on our image.”

Also reacting to Godswill Akpabio, Senate president’s comment in Abuja last Tuesday that it is the handiwork of enemies of government, Alasiagha regretted that such could come from a highly placed and knowledgeable person like Akpabio.

“Let’s not politicise the insecurity issue because lives are lost every day to terror acts. These enemies of the government have been raging during Obasanjo, Yar’ Adua, Jonathan, Buhari and now Tinubu era. It means they are not partisan, APC or PDP, but haters of the people, who they all swore oath to protect and who they will soon rush to their poor and dirty neighbourhoods to canvas for votes.

“The enemies of the government are those in the government who fail to use the law, state craft and the needed force to protect lives, those who sabotage the genuine efforts of others to end insecurity and those who profit from it through ammunition and hostage release deals,” the university don said.

Aboderin Olowoye, a forensic expert, noted that the updated list of 48 individuals and armed groups operating across country by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NIGSAC) has placed huge responsibilities on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), as well as tasking them and other related agencies to work together to stop the inflow of funds and other aids that have boosted their terror acts.

“For those clamouring for the list, it has been released. All that innocent Nigerians need is for the authorities to sweep into action, go after banks that shield the financiers, the bureau de change, insiders in the government, saboteurs and collaborators across security agencies, freeze accounts, prosecute, demolish properties, jail and even make laws that will make their offence punishable by death because their actions and inactions have caused many deaths across the country over a decade now,” Olowoye said.

But Bem Hembafan, a retired security officer, decried that the list is highly audited, insisting that some names and groups, which have been terrorising Nigerians are missing on the list.

“We have heard how some former governors had contacts with terrorists and even negotiated ransom fees with them. Some have also been alleged to have imported some criminal elements for elections’ sake, while gun-wielding arms-bearing herdsmen and their mother association were also not mentioned,” he lamented.

The Benue-born retiree urged for another update of the list as the present one, according to him, is a ‘select’ list.

“The person or association that buys guns for the herdsmen are part of the financiers too. They should be on the list,” he said.

Pam also toed the same line with Hembafan, noting that the list should be reviewed properly to ensure that the names on it are those alive, traceable and not generated.

“In a country where a snake swallows billions of naira, where dead people still receive pension, anything can happen. We need people to identify the names on the list, to confirm their authenticity,” he said.

According to him, no one, group or organisation should be spared in the current level of naming and shaming financiers of terrorism.

“Now that the federal government has decided to step on toes, it should step on them very well, tramp on them and use its fiat because no person, group or organisation is bigger than the country. Again, the continued rampage of terrorists is a slap on the legitimacy of the government and the sovereignty of Nigeria as a country,” Pam noted further.

He noted that the list has offered a direction to the authorities on where to go and what to look for, while the government takes advantage of its foreign partnership to regain lost grounds in the fight.

“So, the work should be easier now. With the list, the related authorities should go after the financiers to dry the source of funds for the terrorists, while the government rallies its foreign partners to sweep into action, to flush out the bad eggs. The work is just beginning because the list does not make sense if the faces behind them are not apprehended and prosecuted. We need right and coordinated actions now,” he urged.

But as relevant authorities begin to work with the list of financiers, Hembafan urged the federal government not to listen to vested interests that are calling for the reintroduction of “repentant” terrorists into the military.
“There is nothing like repentant terrorists. If you make the mistake of reintroducing them into the military, you legitimise them to carry arms. It is dangerous, they should be in jail, no amnesty should be given to those who shade innocent blood,” he said.

Pam also thinks that the idea of repentant terrorists is being sponsored by the enemies of peace as there is nothing like that.

“Repentant after killing thousands of innocent people, after sacking villages, and after killing soldiers and generals.

“You mean repentant after hoisting flags that challenged Nigerian sovereignty on its soil. That narrative is deceitful and from our enemies,” Pam said.

For Olowoye, reintroducing them implies planting moles in the military that will grow tomorrow to wreak havoc.

“Imagine having service chiefs or senior officers who were once Boko Haram members, and where do you think their allegiance will be? Nigeria shouldn’t make such a costly mistake; there are many youths out there to recruit,” he said.

According to him, the case of using a thief to catch a thief does not apply here as those who swore blood oath with insurgency groups, will never repent.

“They are die-hard terrorists, amid heavy influence of indoctrination. Government should not think of such,” he insisted.

Aside from their ‘no reintroduction’ stand, they also urged the government to arrest and prosecute those pushing the narrative, as well as financiers of terrorism.

“They have a soft spot for terrorists. They could be middlemen for hostage release, ransom negotiators and weapon racketeers,” Pam said.

They insisted that the government should assert its legitimacy by confronting every enemy, especially within, stepping on toes and not massaging the ego of some highly placed selfish people or group.

“Now that the list is out, go after the names, prosecute them, make it public, engage in coordinated fight with your foreign partners for the safety of innocent and defenceless Nigerians in remote areas, and discard the idea of repentant terrorists,” they concluded.