The Federal Government has disclosed that over 730 individuals have been convicted for terrorism-related offences.
This was revealed by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj Gen Adamu Laka, during an on-site meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Abuja on Monday.
The FATF team is in Nigeria to inspect the country’s infrastructure for countering terrorism financing and dismantling illicit financial networks, ahead of its formal evaluation visit.
Speaking at the meeting, Maj Gen Laka said, “Disrupting the financial lifelines of terrorist organisations is central to our national counterterrorism strategy. We remain firmly committed to this cause and deeply value our ongoing partnership with both domestic and international stakeholders, including the US Department of the Treasury.”
He stated that more than 90 of the convictions were achieved with direct support from the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), highlighting the success of inter-agency collaboration in combating terror financing.
“Our ability to prosecute over 730 terrorism-linked cases is a testament to the effectiveness of our coordinated national approach,” Laka added.
He also praised the efforts of the Joint Standard Investigation Committee on Terrorism Financing, describing it as critical in enhancing Nigeria’s capacity to investigate and prosecute complex financial crimes.
The ongoing simulation exercise, Laka explained, is aimed at assessing Nigeria’s institutional readiness and aligning national strategies ahead of the FATF evaluation, which will determine the country’s removal from the grey list.
“The strength of our collective preparation will determine the success of the upcoming FATF visit and, ultimately, Nigeria’s removal from the FATF Grey List,” he said.
Hajiya Hafsat Bakari, Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, also addressed the gathering, noting that Nigeria had made significant progress on all 19 items in its FATF action plan.
She described the on-site visit as an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s improvements and its commitment to building an effective anti-terror financing framework.
“The importance of this assessment is underscored by the size of the team coming to Nigeria. We will be hosting 11 reviewers covering all the immediate outcomes in our action plan,” Bakari said.
She emphasized the high expectations placed on Nigeria, noting the international confidence in the country’s progress.
“I’m also delighted to inform you that, as a recognition of the excellent work we have all done and our regional and global leadership, the FATF has invited Nigeria to join as a guest member,” she announced.
“While this does not mean full membership, it is nonetheless a significant step forward—one that reaffirms we are on the right path to securing our place at the table,” Bakari concluded.