By Milcah Tanimu
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has disclosed the presence of 27 cells affiliated with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in 22 countries worldwide, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The largest number of IPOB cells per country is reportedly found in the US and the UK, with seven and six cells respectively.
This revelation came to light in a newsletter exposing the funding of terrorist activities in Nigeria by IPOB, bandits, and other extremist groups through global crowdfunding and sports betting platforms.
Despite the Nigerian government’s proscription of IPOB as a terrorist organization in 2017, the group’s activities persist, with its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, currently facing terrorism charges.
The NFIU document, titled “Counter Terrorism Financial Newsletter,” identified 54 individuals globally linked to IPOB’s operations. It detailed how IPOB raises funds through various channels, including crowdfunding, with contributors often using ambiguous narrations like “Monthly Dues” and “Services.”
Additionally, the newsletter highlighted specific cases of financial transactions linked to terrorism. One instance involved a 24-year-old individual from Nigeria’s North-Central region who allegedly received ransom money from a kidnapping in his betting wallet, amounting to over N350,000.
Another case revealed a terrorist attempting to evade detection by making structured cash withdrawals and purchasing flight tickets to high-risk areas using credit cards. Suspicious transactions, including transfers to charities with potential links to terrorism and purchases of luxury goods and escort services, were flagged by the NFIU.
The NFIU emphasized the importance of investigating transactions associated with known terrorists or financiers, unauthorized tax collection in terrorism-prone areas, and other suspicious financial activities. Law enforcement agencies were urged to scrutinize multiple cash deposits, large Point of Sale transactions followed by cash withdrawals, money transfers to high-risk countries, recruitment for opening multiple bank accounts, and transfers to charities with suspected terrorist links.