Terrorists Exploit Deceased Accounts for Funding in Nigeria

The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has reported that terrorists are utilizing crowdfunding networks and bank accounts linked to deceased individuals to raise and transfer funds for their operations. The NFIU disclosed that foreign facilitators solicit donations through social media under the guise of humanitarian or educational purposes, with contributions typically ranging from $50 to $500.

These funds are then fragmented and sent via money-transfer operators and remittance applications to individuals in Nigeria. The report indicates that students, small-business owners, and relatives are often used as money mules, while women’s accounts are exploited to conceal the identities of male commanders.

In a related political context, sharp disagreements arose among 2027 presidential contenders at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt, where Peter Obi called for a comprehensive security overhaul, linking insecurity to poverty and unemployment, while Rotimi Amaechi emphasized the need for intelligence and economic empowerment.