By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
The Federal Government on Saturday released a list of 48 individuals and groups it said were involved in financing terrorist activities in the country.
The list, published by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NIGSAC), came barely 24 hours after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice concluded the ninth phase of the mass trial of over 500 persons linked to the Boko Haram terrorist sect.
The four-day trial sessions were conducted by 10 judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where a total of 386 convictions were secured by the FG.
While the AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, led the FG’s legal team alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, most of the convicts were represented by a team of lawyers from the National Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (NLACON).
Aside from imposing various sentences that included life imprisonment, the courts issued consequential orders recommending that the convicts undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes.
The AGF expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the cases, insisting that the punishments meted out to the defendants were intended to send a clear signal to those involved in terrorism and terrorism financing.
“There is no space for them here in Nigeria. We cannot stop them from going elsewhere, but as far as Nigeria is concerned, we cannot accommodate them.
“We have been able to bring justice to them—or rather, bring them to justice. This is the clear signal we are sending,” he stated.
A few hours after the declaration, the NIGSAC made public the list of those it said were complicit in sponsoring terrorism across the federation.
Among the names on the list were three groups—Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ansaru, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—which had already been proscribed as terrorist organisations.
Equally on the list is the self-styled Prime Minister of Biafra, Mr. Simon Ekpa, who was convicted in September 2025 by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland.
Ekpa was found guilty of terrorism-related charges and sentenced to six years in prison by the Finnish court.
The court ruled that Ekpa had, between August 2021 and November 2024, supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed separatist groups in the southeastern part of the country, as well as exploited his online influence to promote violence.
Another notable name on the list is the alleged Abuja-Kaduna train kidnapping negotiator, Mr. Tukur Mamu, who is billed to open his defence to a 10-count terrorism charge filed by the FG on April 23.
Trial Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja okayed the matter for defence after the FG closed its case with evidence from six witnesses.
Mamu was arraigned before the court on March 21, 2023, for allegedly aiding terrorist operations in the country.
The Kaduna-based Islamic scholar was further accused of collecting various sums of money in different currencies from families of victims of the train attack on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.
The FG told the court that investigations revealed the defendant collected an aggregate sum of $420,000 from families of the victims, as well as N21 million from another set of families of the train attack victims.
It further alleged that Mamu concealed funds he earned from services rendered to the terrorist organisation in his residence in Kaduna State.
The prosecution added that the defendant had, sometime in 2022 in Kaduna State, received ransom payments in the sum of N500,000 on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist group from families of the train attack hostages.
More so, the prosecution stated that the defendant exchanged voice note communications with one Baba Adamu, identified as spokesperson of Boko Haram, in relation to acts of terrorism.
It alleged that the defendant acted in breach of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Mamu was arrested on September 6, 2022, at Cairo Airport, Egypt, while on his way to Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj with his family members.
He was subsequently brought back to the country and immediately taken into custody by the DSS, which obtained a detention order against him.
In an affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Hamza Pandogari, the DSS told the court that Mamu, publisher of Desert Herald, used the cover of journalism to perpetrate his deeds.
It stated that the detained publisher was on his way to attend a clandestine meeting with top terrorist commanders when he was intercepted in Egypt through the help of the International Police (Interpol).
It alleged that preliminary investigations revealed Mamu’s involvement in terrorism financing.
Meanwhile, other alleged terrorism financiers on the list published by the FG on Saturday are: Abdulsamat Ohida; Mohammed Sani; Abdurrahaman Abdurrahaman; Fatima Ishaq; Yusuf Ghazali; Muhammad Sani; Abubakar Muhammad; Sallamudeen Hassan; Adamu Ishak; Hassana Isah; Abdulkareem Musa; Umar Abdullahi; and Abdurrahaman Ado.
Others include: Bashir Yusuf; Ibrahim Alhassan; Muhammad Isah; Salihu Adamu; Surajo Mohammad; Fannami Bukar; Muhammed Musa; Sahabi Ismail; Mohammed Buba; Jama’atu Wal-Jihad; Yan Group; Yan Group NLBDG; Adamu Hassan; Hassan Mohammed; Usman Abubakar; Kubara Salawu; and Rabiu Suleiman.
As well as: Godstime Iyare; Francis Mmadubuchi; John Onwumere; Chikwuka Eze; Edwin Chukwuedo; Chiwendu Owoh; Ginika Orji; Awo Uchechukwu; Mercy Ali; Ohagwu Juliana; Eze Okpoto; Nwaobi Chimezie; and Ogumu Kewe.
There are indications that the FG would initiate extradition proceedings to ensure the repatriation of some of them currently residing outside the country.
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