- Musa said terrorist financiers often supply motorcycles to local collaborators, who remit daily proceeds into specific bank accounts.
- He confirmed that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit had traced financial networks and recorded arrests linked to terrorism financing.
The chief of defence staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, has said the the process of identifying and prosecuting terrorism financiers in Nigeria is ongoing.
Musa said this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
He described the process as complex, citing legal hurdles and international networks behind the funding of terrorism.
According to him, terrorist financiers often use local operatives who remit money into designated accounts.
“I think the process is on, I can speak for this government and because it has to do with a lot of legal issues and because again, it has to do with international connections,” he said.
“Some of them have funds coming from outside; we cannot do anything from within.”
He explained that local collaborators were usually given motorcycles and tasked to remit funds daily into certain accounts.
The CDS praised the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit for its role in tracking financial flows linked to terrorism.
“The NFIU has been doing so much; apart from the intelligence set-up, the financial links are also being followed through and through, and arrests have been made,” he said.
“I can assure you the attorney general of the federation and the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) are all working seriously to ensure that we address those issues.”
Musa said the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency, and other security outfits were also investigating political actors sponsoring violence.
“You know criminals work together; they synergise their efforts, both the bandits and terrorists, because they have a common goal: they want to make money and ensure communities are suffering for whatever reason,” he said.
“And again, some part of politics—when there is peace, it shows the government is doing well, and when there is no peace, it shows the government is not doing well.”
He said political interference had worsened insecurity ahead of elections.
“You realise that last year we had the least number of deaths; then, how come suddenly everything has gone up? Because politics has come in; elections are coming in,” Musa added.
“You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace. The funny thing is, how do you want to kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?”
Asked if political actors behind terrorism had been identified, Musa replied that work was still in progress.
The defence chief also called for reforms in the justice system to accelerate terrorism cases.
“I can tell you that the DSS, the NIA, the NFIU, and the DIA are all working assiduously,” he said.
“And again, it has to do with the legal system. We have to review our legal system because some of the punishments and prosecutions take too long.
“Maybe if we have a special court that will treat terrorism cases as quickly as they arise. I think we also need to review the punishment for offences.”
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