Disputed document reignites calls for accountability amid U.S. pressure and rising insecurity
By Mike Odeh James
ABUJA, Nigeria—Following renewed pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for Nigeria to crack down on terrorism and address allegations of genocide against Christians, Nigerians are once again demanding that the government publicly name, shame and prosecute individuals accused of financing extremist groups.
In response, the spokesman of the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala told the press that government will soon make available the list of sponsors of terrorism.
Previous List of Terror Financiers Exposed
In 2024, a memo circulated widely across Nigerian media naming several individuals and entities allegedly involved in terror financing. The document — purportedly from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Nigeria Sanctions Committee — listed nine individuals and six Bureau de Change (points where foreign currencies are changed to local currencies) operators recommended for punitive action.
Those named included Kaduna-based publisher Tukur Mamu, currently standing trial over alleged ties to the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack. Others listed were Yusuf Ghazali, Muhammad Sani, Abubakar Muhammad, Sallamudeen Hassan, Adamu Ishak, Hassana-Oyiza Isah, Abdulkareem Musa and Umar Abdullahi.
The memo also alleged that Mamu facilitated more than $200,000 in ransom payments to ISWAP, while another suspect allegedly coordinated attacks such as the Owo church massacre and the Kuje prison break.
Document Quickly Disputed
Soon after the memo surfaced, several individuals named in it denied the allegations.
Mamu, who is already on trial for allegedly extorting hostage families, rejected the accusations attributed to the NFIU. His family also issued a public statement denying the claims.
Government agencies distanced themselves from the document. NFIU spokesperson Abubakar Abba Ibrahim said the agency issued no such memo. Another government official confirmed an investigation into the leak, while a source in the attorney general’s office declined comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
A review of the six named BDCs showed mixed results. Only Desert Exchange Ventures Ltd. and Settings BDC appeared in the Corporate Affairs Commission database — and both were listed as inactive.
U.S. Sanctions Give Broader Context
The controversy in Nigeria has drawn comparisons to the 2022 U.S. Treasury sanctions on six Nigerians convicted in the United Arab Emirates for financing Boko Haram.
Those convicted — Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, Salihu Yusuf Adamu and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad — transferred an estimated $782,000 from Dubai to Boko Haram fighters using informal financial systems.
They were sanctioned under Executive Order 13224, which froze their assets and barred U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them.
Security experts say the U.S. action demonstrates that naming suspects alone is insufficient without coordinated international pressure and evidence-driven prosecutions.
Analysts Say Nigeria’s List Leaves Out Key Players
Security experts argue that the leaked Nigerian list fails to reflect the full scope of individuals linked — directly or indirectly — to terror financing.
Friday Agbo, of Alterconsult ThinkTank in Abuja , said the omissions were glaring.
“The list did not go far. It left out some of the most critical players that insiders and analysts have consistently pointed to for years,” Agbo told TruthNigeria.
He said several political actors repeatedly referenced in intelligence assessments were missing.
“There are politicians — coumty Chairman and state-level figures — whose names come up repeatedly in security reports. None of them made the public list.”
Agbo noted that some traditional rulers quietly arrested in previous years were also not mentioned.
“We have had village heads and district leaders in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger who were arrested discreetly for aiding terrorists. Their names never appear in any public document,” according to Agbo.
He added that clerics accused of negotiating ransoms and collecting funds for armed groups were also absent.
“Some clerics negotiate ransoms, collect zakat for bandit groups and even move funds across borders, yet you will never see their names published,” Agbo said.
Agbo further said influential business networks — including gold merchants, cattle dealers, motorcycle importers and arms dealers — remain untouched.
“They are too embedded in the system, so they get shielded,” Agbo said.
Agbo questioned why even individuals exposed abroad were not included.
“Some of the Nigerians named in UAE court documents were never added to Nigeria’s own list. That omission alone says everything,” he said.
Attorney Says Nigeria Ignored Already Exposed Financiers
Makurdi-based lawyer Fred Edwards Abah also said Nigeria failed to include individuals whose identities were already public.
“I can give you documented cases showing that Nigeria did not include several exposed individuals. These are facts already in the public domain,” Abah told TruthNigeria.
He cited the UAE convictions as an example.
“Surajo Abubakar Muhammad, Saleh Yusuf Adamu, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, Abdullahi Yusufa and Muhammed Ibrahim Isa were all found guilty. Nigeria never added most of them to its own list,” Abah said.
Abah also noted that the Department of State Services (DSS) has repeatedly withheld identities of suspects arrested locally.
“The DSS has arrested people in Kaduna, Katsina and Niger for moving cash, supplying SIM cards and laundering ransom money. Their identities were never released,” Abah said.
He pointed to politically connected individuals accused in state-level inquiries.
“Some politically connected persons were openly accused at inquiry panels in Zamfara and Katsina from 2019 to 2022. None of their names ever appeared on the federal register,” Abah said.
According to him, these omissions undermine any new list Nigeria produces.
“If Nigeria cannot publish the names of those already exposed in court documents or state panels, then the credibility of any new terrorism-financing list remains questionable,” Abah said.
Analysts: Government Lacks Will to Name Powerful Financiers
Abah added that Nigeria’s reluctance stems from the political and social influence of those allegedly involved.
He argued that some individuals linked to terrorism financing occupy influential positions in government, business and education.
“I am sure that if the Federal Government decided to release the list today, apex religious leaders from the North-West and North-East would be named,” Abah said.
He also pointed to a former governor of Borno State.
“A former governor of Borno, the epicenter of Boko Haram, should be on that list. He was credited to have created and nurtured the group financially,” Abah said.
Abah further said political considerations play a major role.
“Most of those that would be named and protected are Muslims from the northern parts of the country. The president, who is from the South, would not want to alienate the North because he may pay for it in the upcoming election.”
He warned that northern politicians could retaliate.
“They can make life difficult for President Bola Tinubu and could cause massive unrest for his administration,” Abah said.
Calls Grow for U.S.–Nigeria Cooperation
Security analysts and counterterrorism experts now say Nigeria must work more closely with the United States to curtail the flow of money to armed groups.
“What President Tinubu should do is enter into a bilateral agreement with the U.S., give the U.S. the list of the bad guys, and they will be placed on watchlists. Their assets will be frozen, and when they step outside Nigeria, they will be arrested,” Abah told TruthNigeria
Mike Odeh James is a conflict reporter and he writes for TruthNigeria.
