Federal Government has identified 100 high-risk Boko Haram financiers

The Federal Government has stated that it has identified 100 high-risk Boko Haram financiers in the country.
According to Track News, Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, stated this while speaking at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing in India over the weekend.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Abdulmalik Suleiman, the terrorist financiers have ties to at least ten countries around the world.

“The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, has played a significant role in supporting all of our intelligence, security, and military services,” according to the statement.

“The NFIU’s unique ability to collaborate with counterparts in the region and around the world, particularly through the Egmont Group of FIUs, is a valuable asset to our country.”

“In particular, I’d like to take a few moments to discuss some recent results obtained with the assistance of our partners.” In 2019, the NFIU began an in-depth investigation into the financing of the Boko Haram group.

“This nearly 18-month analysis resulted in the identification of nearly 100 high-risk financiers and identified links to ten different countries.”

“Using intelligence from several countries, including our immediate neighbors Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Togo, the NFIU was able to build a comprehensive picture of the group’s transnational sources of finance.”

“Ultimately, the findings of the investigation led to the arrest of 48 financiers and the ongoing prosecution of a number of them.”

Aregbesola also advocated for better conditions for Nigerians living, studying, or looking for business opportunities in India.

The minister also advocated for the issuance of special visas to Nigerian businessmen and women in order to facilitate trade between the two countries.

He made four demands of the Indian government in order to improve the well-being of Nigerians living in the country, including a change in the Indian visa policy for Nigerian students.