Nigeria Disrupts Terrorist Funding Channels, Says Defence Minister

Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), Nigeria's Minister of Defence, stated that the Nigerian military, in collaboration with intelligence and security agencies, has significantly disrupted the financial networks supporting Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). This disruption has weakened the terrorists' ability to conduct large-scale attacks, leading them to increasingly resort to abductions and kidnappings for funding.

Musa made these remarks during a live interview in Abuja, discussing Nigeria's territorial defence, counter-terrorism financing, and border security. He noted that military operations deep into terrorist enclaves have diminished the operational capabilities of these groups.

Musa also linked a recent rise in security incidents to political cycles, warning that such incidents could be exploited by political actors ahead of the 2027 elections. He assured that security agencies are taking measures to ensure political campaigns proceed without hindrance.

Additionally, Musa emphasized the government's efforts to dismantle financial structures supporting terrorism, including collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to block illicit funding channels.