The Federal Government has announced that more than 730 people have been found guilty of crimes related to terrorism as part of its stepped-up efforts to stop the funding of terrorists and break up illegal financial networks.
This was revealed by Major General Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Center, during the Financial Action Task Force’s on-site meeting in Abuja on Monday.
He said that the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit directly assisted in over 90 of the convictions, demonstrating the effectiveness of interagency cooperation in identifying and dismantling financial networks that help terrorist organizations.
“A key component of our national counterterrorism strategy is disrupting the financial lifelines of terrorist organizations,” he stated.
Our dedication to this cause is unwavering, and we cherish our continued collaboration with both domestic and foreign partners, such as the U.S. Department of Treasury.
“The success of our unified national approach is demonstrated by our ability to prosecute more than 730 cases linked to terrorism. With the help of NFIU, almost 90 convictions were obtained.
He claimed that the NFIU’s and other pertinent agencies’ joint actions have greatly decreased the amount of illegal money flowing into terror operations nationwide.
The Joint Standard Investigation Committee on Terrorism Financing was also praised by the NCTC coordinator, who said that the committee’s efforts are essential to strengthening Nigeria’s ability to look into and prosecute sophisticated financial crimes.
According to Laka, the purpose of the simulated exercise was to assess Nigeria’s institutional readiness and coordinate plans in front of the FATF assessment, which would decide whether Nigeria is removed from the organization’s Grey List.
“The success of the next FATF visit and, eventually, Nigeria’s removal from the FATF Grey List will depend on how well we all prepare,” he stated.
Hajiya Hafsat Bakari, the Chief Executive Officer of NFIU, stated in her remarks that via a united national effort, remarkable progress had been made toward fulfilling all 19 action items on their action plans.
The on-site exercise, according to Bakari, was a chance for them to show the advancements made and the ongoing dedication to a successful national FATF framework.
She claims that Nigeria is the focus of the international FATF network, and they have high aspirations for the country.
And this is definitely a statement of trust in Nigeria, given the challenges the FATF has faced in the past in recruiting reviewers to visit several African nations.
“I’m also happy to let you know that Nigeria has been invited to join the FATF as a guest member in appreciation of the great job we have all done and our leadership on a regional and international level.
This basically means that Nigeria will take part in the FATF’s projects and discussions under our own flag. “This is not necessarily a full member, but it is a step forward on our path to having a seat at the table and reaffirmation that we are on the right track,” she said.
