General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has disclosed that the federal government has initiated efforts to track and identify those financing terrorism, a threat that has long plagued the nation.
The revelation came during an interview with Channels Television on Thursday.
General Musa explained that several key agencies, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), are actively pursuing leads to pinpoint financiers behind the funding of violent extremism.
He insisted, however, that a number of legal and international hurdles continue to slow the process of naming names.
In his words: “The process of naming terrorism financiers is on. Just last week, the AGF and others went to check. It has to do with legal issues and international connections. Some of them get funds from outside.
“The NFIU has been doing so much; arrests have been made, and prosecutions have started. Those behind the Owo bombing are already facing trial.”
Further shedding light on how these networks operate, General Musa revealed that terrorists are even using gold as a means of funding their operations, often circulating it through carefully constructed channels to obscure its origins and complicate detection.
He also noted that local financiers frequently engage recruits by providing motorcycles or petty jobs, with daily remittances funnelled into designated accounts.
This disclosure comes amid alarming figures on escalating violence: between January and March 2025, at least 2,000 Nigerians were slain in violent attacks, a grim figure that rose further in May, with 635 additional fatalities recorded, according to the Humangle tracker.
General Musa attributed the spike to the approaching 2027 general election, a context that he suggested some malign actors are exploiting to destabilise governance.
According to him, “Last year, we recorded the lowest number of deaths. How come this year, suddenly, everything has spiked? Politics is coming, the election is coming.
“You cannot rule out the fact that some people are controlling these criminals to ensure there is no peace, and governance is discredited. But the funny thing is, how do you kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?”
- Police Arrest Sowore Outside Abuja Court Following #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest - October 24, 2025
- Nnamdi Kanu Opts for Self-Representation in Terrorism Trial - October 24, 2025
- ‘My Coming is Divine,’ Says New INEC Chairman Amupitan - October 24, 2025