Terror Financing: Nigerian Terrorists Turn to Telegram, Instagram, Remittance Platforms — Bukarti

Terrorist groups operating in Nigeria are adopting increasingly sophisticated methods to raise and transfer funds, using social media platforms and international remittance services, security analyst and lawyer Dr Bulama Bukarti has said.

Bukarti, who spoke on Channels Television on Tuesday, warned that Nigerians both within the country and abroad could unknowingly contribute to terrorism financing by responding to seemingly genuine requests for assistance.

He cited a report by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), which he said documented how foreign-based individuals use Telegram and Instagram to solicit donations under the guise of supporting humanitarian and educational causes.

According to him, contributions of between $50 and $500 are first accumulated in a master account before being broken down into smaller sums and transferred to different individuals in Nigeria through international remittance platforms.

“These people are doing all of this in order to evade Nigeria’s tightening financial regulations,” Bukarti said.

He therefore advised Nigerians to verify the identity and credibility of individuals or organisations behind online fundraising campaigns before sending money.

However, he clarified that his warning should not be interpreted as a call to abandon legitimate humanitarian causes.

“It is not a call for us to stop supporting humanitarian or educational appeals. It is a call for us to do our due diligence, know the person you are donating to and make sure you trust them,” he said.

Calls for tighter financial identity checks

Bukarti said the authorities should strengthen the connection between BVN and SIM registration as part of efforts to close loopholes that could be exploited by terrorist financiers.

He alleged that accounts belonging to deceased persons and accounts controlled by third parties had been used in terrorism financing.

“We need to strengthen the linkage between Bank Verification Numbers and SIM cards. The NFIU and the Nigerian Communications Commission must work together to ensure that only properly registered and verified SIM cards are linked to bank accounts and used for financial transactions.

“The only way to defeat terrorism is to follow the money,” he said.

He also urged Nigerians to be vigilant when asked to transport packages for others, warning that such requests could expose them to criminal activity.

“People need to be careful. If someone says, ‘carry this for me’, trust them first and make sure you know what you are carrying,” he said.

Bukarti condemns jungle justice

Speaking on mob justice, the analyst described jungle justice as dangerous and urged authorities to ensure that suspected offenders are investigated and prosecuted through due process.

“Jungle justice is not justice. It is injustice, and it is cruel, and it only sends a country into anarchy,” he said.

Bukarti stressed that failures by government institutions or security agencies should not be used as justification for mob action.

“The failure by government or security and law enforcement agencies doesn’t justify jungle justice,” he said.

Nigeria urged to strengthen regional security cooperation

Bukarti also advocated a multinational security pact involving Nigeria, Niger and Benin to counter terrorist movements and emerging corridors across the region.

“Nigeria needs to do more,” he said, while emphasising that disrupting the financial networks sustaining terrorist groups should remain a central part of the fight against terrorism.

He maintained that cutting off terrorist organisations from their sources of funding would be essential to weakening their operations.

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