The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the identification of no fewer than 96 direct financiers of the deadly terrorism in the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who made this known at a news briefing said that out of 96, 45 of them will soon be put on trial.
The ministersaid that the properties of the suspects will be seized by the government while the trial goes on.
He explained that out of the 553 persons identified as sponsors of terrorism in the 2020-2021 report by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), 96 are direct financiers of terrorism, 424 are associates/supporters of the financiers, 123 are companies while 33 are bureaux de change.
According to him, 26 others are identified as bandits and kidnappers by the NFIU, adding that Nigeria had shared intelligence on Boko Haram, ISWAP and kidnapping with no fewer than 19 countries.
Lai Mohammed said that from the NFIU analysis, tax evasion and tax avoidance linked to corruption, the country lost a whooping sum of N7.6 trillion in value added tax and withholding tax.
He said the NFIU had also sent 1,165 intelligence reports on cases of corruption, money laundering and other serious offences to 27 domestic agencies for investigation, prosecution and asset recovery.
Still on terrorism financing, he said that NFIU had intelligence exchanges on Boko Haram, ISWAP, banditry, kidnapping and others with 19 countries.
