The Federal Government on Saturday released a list of 48 individuals and organisations allegedly involved in financing terrorist activities across the country, intensifying efforts to dismantle terror networks and their sources of funding.
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 suspects linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The four-day proceedings, held at the Federal High Court in Abuja, were conducted by 10 judges and resulted in 386 convictions secured by the Federal Government.
Leading the prosecution team was the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo. Most of the defendants were represented by lawyers from the National Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The courts handed down various sentences, including life imprisonment, and issued additional orders recommending rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes for the convicts.
Expressing satisfaction with the outcome, Fagbemi said the convictions were meant to serve as a strong warning to those involved in terrorism and its 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,” he said, adding that justice had been served.
Shortly after the trials, NIGSAC made public the names of those it alleged were complicit in sponsoring terrorism nationwide. Among those listed were already proscribed groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ansaru, and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Also named was the self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister, Simon Ekpa, who was convicted in September 2025 by a Finnish court and sentenced to six years imprisonment for terrorism-related offences. The court found that Ekpa supplied weapons and promoted violence through online platforms between 2021 and 2024.
Another prominent figure on the list is Tukur Mamu, who is facing a 10-count terrorism charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Mohammed Umar has fixed April 23 for him to open his defence after the prosecution closed its case.
Mamu, a Kaduna-based Islamic scholar and publisher, was accused of aiding terrorist operations and acting as an intermediary in ransom negotiations during the Abuja-Kaduna train attack. The Federal Government alleged that he collected over $420,000 and N21 million from victims’ families, as well as additional payments on behalf of terrorist groups.
According to the prosecution, Mamu maintained communications with a Boko Haram spokesperson and concealed proceeds linked to terrorism financing. He was arrested on September 6, 2022, at Cairo Airport with the assistance of Interpol and later transferred to Nigeria, where he has remained in custody.
In an affidavit presented by the Department of State Services, investigators alleged that Mamu used his position as a journalist to facilitate contacts with terrorist commanders and was en route to a clandestine meeting at the time of his arrest.
Other individuals named on the sanctions list include Abdulsamat Ohida, Mohammed Sani, Fatima Ishaq, Yusuf Ghazali, Abubakar Muhammad, and several others, alongside groups such as Jama’atu Wal-Jihad and Yan Group.
There are also indications that the Federal Government may initiate extradition proceedings against some of the listed suspects currently residing abroad, as part of a broader strategy to curb terrorism financing and enhance national security.
