In a major crackdown on the networks fueling insecurity across the nation, the Federal Government of Nigeria on Saturday released a comprehensive list of 48 individuals and organizations identified as terrorism financiers.
The list, compiled and published by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NIGSAC), includes high-profile separatist leaders, notorious insurgent groups and alleged negotiators linked to high-stakes kidnappings.
The publication follows a grueling four-day marathon trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Led by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the government secured 386 convictions against persons linked to the Boko Haram sect.
“There is no space for them here in Nigeria,” AGF Fagbemi stated. “We have been able to bring them to justice. This is the clear signal we are sending.”
While many received life sentences, the court also mandated rehabilitation and deradicalization programs for the convicts.
The NIGSAC list targets both established terrorist organizations and individuals accused of providing the financial “oxygen” for violence:
According to the report, the proscribed Groups are Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ansaru and ISWAP.
Simon Ekpa: The Finland-based separatist leader was highlighted following his September 2025 conviction by a Finnish court for supplying weapons and explosives to armed groups in Nigeria’s Southeast.
Tukur Mamu: The Kaduna-based publisher and alleged negotiator for the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnapping. Mamu is accused of collecting over $420,000 and N21 million in ransom payments on behalf of terrorists.
A significant portion of the government’s focus remains on Tukur Mamu, who is set to open his defense on April 23. The DSS alleges Mamu used the guise of journalism to facilitate clandestine meetings with terrorist commanders. Investigators claim to have intercepted voice notes between Mamu and a Boko Haram spokesperson regarding ransom logistics and tactical communications.
Beyond the headliners, the government identified 43 other individuals and smaller cells involved in the movement of illicit funds.
Selected persons are Abdulsamat Ohida, Mohammed Sani Jama’atu Wal-Jihad, Fatima Ishaq, Yusuf Ghazali Yan Group, Godstime Iyare, Francis Mmadubuchi, Yan Group NLBDG, Chiwendu Owoh, Ginika Orji.
Other names include Abdurrahaman Ado, Bashir Yusuf, Ibrahim Alhassan, John Onwumere, and Eze Okpoto.
With several of the named financiers currently residing abroad—most notably Simon Ekpa—sources within the Ministry of Justice indicate that the Federal Government is prepared to initiate extradition proceedings. This move aims to ensure that those funding Nigerian instability from the diaspora are brought back to face the domestic legal system.
