General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has expressed renewed worry about the expanding means terrorists utilize to fund and sustain their activities.
- General Christopher Musa addressed concerns about terrorist funding methods in Nigeria.
- Nigeria is tracking local and international sources of terrorist financing, notably using gold.
- Recent arrests of high-profile Ansaru group members signify progress in Nigeria’s anti-terror efforts.
- Attack on worshippers highlights ongoing security challenges despite military advances.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today show on Thursday, General Musa promised to expose the identities of terrorism supporters in due course.
When asked why it is difficult to name names concerning those who are financing terrorism, by the interviewer, the general responded, “I think the process is on. It has to do with a lot of legal issues, and because again, it has to do with international connections.
Some of them have funds coming from outside; we cannot do anything from within.”
He also added, “The local ones (financiers), what they do normally is that they try to employ a few individuals, provide motorcycles to them, something to do, and those are remitting funds daily into some account.
Apart from the intelligence sector, the financial leaks are also being followed, and arrests have been made.”
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He cautioned that terror financing in Nigeria is significantly more sophisticated than people think, typically combining both local recruiting techniques and overseas financial sources, which utilize gold for transactions.
In response to a question concerning the primary funding source for these organizations, the defense chief said, “Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why it is important for us to be able to track these things.”
During the interview, he elaborated on the complicated global networks these groups use, making it impossible to uncover or punish them right away. He also mentioned how bad roads hinder immediate response from the army after attacks are orchestrated.
Nigeria’s recent bout with terrorism
These disclosures come as Nigeria’s security forces make significant advances.
Just last week, two prominent members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda offshoot in Nigeria, were apprehended following a months-long counter-terrorism operation.
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Those apprehended were identified as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, announced the arrests at a news briefing in Abuja, describing them as an important milestone in the country’s anti-terror fight.
Nonetheless, fatal attacks continue. Multiple accounts state that on August 19, terrorists assaulted a mosque in Katsina State, murdering between 30 and 50 worshippers.
The tragedy shows the scope of Nigeria’s security issues, even as the military increases pressure on terrorist networks.
General Musa’s promise to reveal terrorist funders might be a watershed moment in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts.
