The Northern Nigeria Minorities Group (NNMG) has called on the Federal Government to expeditiously disclose the identities of individuals, organisations and networks implicated in the financing of terrorism within Nigeria without further delay.
The NNMG made the call in a statement signed by its Convener, Chief Jacob Edi on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the government possesses the requisite intelligence architecture to ascertain these actors, and the Nigerian public is entitled to full transparency on an issue that has exacted a devastating toll on lives, infrastructure and socio-economic stability.
The statement noted that “Nigeria’s institutional frameworks, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Bank Verification Number (BVN), the National Identity Card Numbers (NIN) and other statutory monitoring mechanisms offer robust capacity to detect, trace and disrupt the illicit financial flows that sustain violent groups.’
The group accused the terrorism financiers of undermining national cohesion for far too long, and continued opacity serves only to embolden them.
“We also note with confidence the renewed momentum by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in intensifying security operations nationwide. The early outcomes of these efforts are evident and reflect a more assertive and coordinated national security posture.
“It remains our considered position that the publication of terrorism financiers, combined with the current operational tempo of the security services, will substantially advance Nigeria’s trajectory toward eliminating terrorism and restoring durable peace.
“The nation stands at a critical inflection point, and transparency is indispensable to consolidating and sustaining the gains recorded thus far.”
Chief Edi also praised the governors of the 19 Northern states for their resolute and strategically coordinated decision to establish a one-billion-naira joint security intervention fund. Each of the governors of the 19 northern states will contribute one billion naira monthly to tackle insecurity in the region.
He said “this collective initiative represents a commendable demonstration of regional leadership, signaling a renewed commitment to confronting the persistent threats of terrorism and banditry with coherence and purpose.”
