Speakers at a 'Multi-stakeholder National Dialogue on Preventing Terrorism Finacing and Violent Extremism' called for collective measures to combat terrorism financing, extremism and violent conflicts.
The West African anti-money laundering body, GIABA, civil society organisations, professionals, a Nigerian anti-corruption agency, and a state governor, on Wednesday, called for collective measures to combat terrorism financing, extremism, and violent conflicts in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a transparency and public accountability focused civil society organisation, Auwal "Rafsajani" Musa,said terrorism constituted recurrent threats to the lives and property of Nigerians and survival of Nigeria.
Mr Musa said this at the 'Multi-stakeholder National Dialogue on Preventing Terrorism Finacing and Violent Extremism' held on Wedneday in Abuja, in collaboration with the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).Others who also spoke on the matter at the event included the Director General of GIABA, Edwin Harris, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede.
"This dialogue remains critical to galvanising an all-inclusive conversation on the thematic focus, given the recurring threats to the lives and property of many Nigerians, occasioned by terrorism and violent extremism that has hitherto bedevilled the country," Mr said.
He emphasised the necessity for both state actors and non-state actors to address the various sources of terrorism financing, which underpin terrorism and other violent conflicts in Nigeria.
Mr Musa highlighted the roles of terrorism financing in sustaining terrorist groups, facilitating weapon procurement, recruitment of militants, and operational activities.
He cited the 2023 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) which ranked Nigeria eighth among the top 10 countries with the highest levels of terrorism worldwide.
He stressed the significance of community awareness in monitoring and responding to warning signals of potential terrorist activities and violent extremism to mitigate insecurity.
Mr Musa also reiterated the need for the government to bolster border security measures to curb the inflow of funds and resources supporting terrorist activities.
Other points that he raised included the issue of inter-agency rivalry, which he said had hampered many security agencies from recording success because of poor intelligence sharing and the need to boost the capacity of law enforcement agencies to detect and disrupt terrorist financial networks is poor.
Mr Musa called for strict monitoring and prevention of terrorist organisations from exploiting financial institutions through illegal money exchanges.
He explained that despite existing regulations aimed at enhancing transparency and identifying suspicious transactions, this remains a significant challenge.
"The finance sector has been exploited for terrorism financing. The use of the financial sector indicates the increasing capabilities of some terrorist groups," he said.
Preventing violent extremism in Nigeria
A lawyer, Tijani Mohammed, emphasised that government at all levels must address ethnic and religious divisions in the country for sustainable peace.
He called on the government to tackle socioeconomic marginalisation that has rendered many families poor.
He explained that political instability and poor governance have contributed majorly to terrorism.
He said lack of border monitoring has led to many infiltrations of terrorist groups into the country.
He tasked the government to address historical grievances and injustices meted out to groups and communities to address the menace.
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In a goodwill message, the chairman of the EFCC, Mr Olukoyede, said there was a need for a concerted commitment in combating terrorism.
Mr Olukoyede highlighted EFCC's efforts in combating money laundering and terrorism financing through policy implementation, including technology adoption for tracking laundered funds and ransom payments to kidnappers.
Meanwhile, the Director General of GIABA, Mr Harris, reiterated the organisation's support for initiatives countering violent extremism in Nigeria and West Africa.
He emphasised the detrimental impact of misallocated funds on perpetuating terrorism.
In his remarks, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State said Benue and other middle belt states are facing insecurity challenges.
He pledged collaboration with security agencies to end insecurity in Benue State.
