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The Federal Government has released a list of 48 individuals and groups allegedly involved in financing terrorism across Nigeria.
The list, published on Saturday by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, was made public barely 24 hours after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation concluded the ninth phase of mass trials involving over 500 suspects linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The four-day proceedings, held at the Federal High Court in Abuja and presided over by 10 judges, resulted in 386 convictions. The prosecution was led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo. Most defendants were represented by counsel from the National Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
Sentences handed down by the court ranged up to life imprisonment. In addition, the court ordered that convicted individuals undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes.
Fagbemi described the outcome as a decisive step in the fight against terrorism, stressing that the sanctions were intended to deter both perpetrators and financiers.
“There is no space for them in Nigeria. While we cannot dictate what happens elsewhere, we will not tolerate terrorism within our borders. This is the message we are sending,” he said.
Shortly after the trials concluded, NIGSAC published the list of alleged terrorism financiers. It includes already proscribed groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ansaru, and Islamic State West Africa Province.
Also named is Simon Ekpa, a self-styled separatist leader who was convicted in September 2025 by a Finnish court. The court found him guilty of terrorism-related offences and sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment for supplying weapons and promoting violence between 2021 and 2024.
Another prominent figure on the list is Tukur Mamu, alleged to have acted as a negotiator in the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnapping. He is currently facing a 10-count terrorism charge and is scheduled to open his defence on April 23 before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
According to the prosecution, Mamu collected ransom payments on behalf of terrorist groups, including an estimated $420,000 and N21 million from victims’ families. He is also accused of receiving additional funds and maintaining communications with a Boko Haram spokesperson, acts said to contravene the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Mamu was arrested in September 2022 at Cairo International Airport while en route to Saudi Arabia and was subsequently returned to Nigeria, where he has remained in custody of the Department of State Services. Authorities allege he used his position as publisher of Desert Herald as a cover for illicit activities and was intercepted while attempting to attend a clandestine meeting with terrorist operatives.
The list released by the government includes dozens of other individuals and entities allegedly linked to terrorism financing networks across the country.
There are also indications that the Federal Government may initiate extradition proceedings to secure the return of suspects currently residing abroad, as part of its broader counterterrorism strategy.
By PRNigeria
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