Advocacy and Communications Specialist Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Abubakar Jimoh, says with community involvement terrorism financing and money laundering could be mitigated in the North-East.
Jimoh made this disclosure in Gombe, at the end of a two-day workshop organised by CISLAC, Transparency International and Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa for community leaders, Civil Society Organisations, faith-based groups and security agencies.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the engagement held between May 29 -30, 2024.
He said, “We are here to talk about the community mobilisation against terrorist extremism, terrorism and financing in the North-East.
“This project is fundamentally, about the community because the previous intervention, engagement have excluded the community focusing on state and non-state actors. We don’t look at the preventive measures because the communities have not been carried along.”
While decrying the lack of involvement of communities Jimoh added, “They can be sensitised to know how terrorism starts, the signals and the appropriate reporting channel. Some communities members are involved in terrorism without knowing they are aiding it.Our role is to make them aware of the challenges.”
Also speaking, Sani Yakubu, Senior Lecturer Federal College of Education Technical Gombe, noted that the country and the region lacked leaders who would ensure that values are upheld.
He said, “What is missing is sincerity of purpose, quality leadership, and negligence that has allowed for the destruction of our cultural values by external forces.
“When there is high level of patriotism, hardly will they allow violent extremism in their environment, they will devise means of curtailing it internally and externally.”
On the impact of terrorism Yakubu added that “Presently many are displaced. The impact is very high. Reporting at the early stage is imperative to preventing it. The North-East Development Commission has tried well enough to reduce the effect.”
He debunked insinuations that security agencies are aiding insecurity adding “Its not from the security operatives but from their regulatory and government agencies they are not been funded enough. The weapons they are using are old fashioned while these guys have sophisticated ones. Our security architecture is perfect only that the logistics are not there for them to perform.
Speaking earlier in an address of welcome, Gombe State Commandant Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Muhammad Bello, identified enablers of terrorism financing to include poor financial regulations, corruption among others.
“There is inadequate financial regulation and oversight make it easier for terrorists to launder money and move funds across borders.
“Corruption within governments and financial institutions can facilitate the movement of terrorist funds.
“Limited collaboration and information sharing between countries hinder the ability to track and intercept terrorist financing.
“The use of sophisticated technology, such as encrypted communications and dark web marketplaces, help terrorists to evade detection.”
