The Federal Government has said it has almost finished investigation into individuals financing the Boko Haram terrorist group in the country.
The government disclosed this at the opening session of a five-day Compliance Summit organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA.
According to the Director of Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, Mr. Mohammed Jiya, the Federal Government has requested from 28 countries including Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana and Niger for more information about the suspected terror financiers.
The NFIU boss said: “The intelligence report submitted to the government led to formation of inter agency operation, which resulted in degrading of Boko Haram activities.
“I am happy to intimate this gathering that the Chad platform on terrorism financing, last week, expanded its membership to 11 countries, active members as Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Benin; and observers as Ghana, Guinea and Central Africa Republic.
“Meetings will now be holding every three months with the Chad Basin and Sahel countries. This new synergy is good for both experience sharing and operational success of security agencies.”
He described the summit, which has the theme, ‘’Current and Emerging Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Issues,” as apt and timely, noting that three of top 10 countries in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index, GTI, were from West Africa.
The revelation comes after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, said last September that investigation to unravel those behind activities of insurgents in the country had reached advanced stage.
He said the government would at the appropriate time, disclose their identities through a judicial process that would entail prosecution.
“The position, as it stands, is that investigation has reached advanced stage and the government will make statement in that direction in due course,” he said.