36 Names of Boko Haram Sponsors In Nigeria And Their Companies

Last updated on August 5th, 2023 at 09:26 pm

The Cabinet of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) revealed a damning list of sponsors of Boko Haram in Nigeria, a terror group that has killed close to 50,000 Nigerians and displaced more than half of the population in most part of the North-East states, most especially Borno State since it began its operation close to two decades.

In Resolution No 83 of 2021, 38 people and 15 companies appeared on the Local Terrorist List complementing the efforts of UAE at fighting terrorism across the world.

Efforts of UAE At Exposing Boko Haram Sponsor

In 2016, the country collaborated with the Treasury Department of the United States to expose one of the foreign exchange companies that funded al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

 Today, the United States, in close partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), took action to disrupt the operations and support networks of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Specifically, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Al Omgy and Brothers Money Exchange (Al Omgy Exchange) and the company’s two owners, a statement by the U.S Treasury Department says.

Again, the Al Omgy Exchange appeared on the fresh list of companies that fund Boko Haram here through foreign exchange. (check No.7 on the list of companies that fund the terror group in the table below)

In 2020, UAE claimed to have sentenced six Nigerians to jail for funding the killer group. However, InfomediaNG discovered that some of the names appear in the latest list.

“The resolution underscores the UAE’s commitment to target and dismantle networks that finance terrorism and its related activities,” Emirate News Agency quoted part of the report.

Analysis of the list

• 6 Nigerians
• 8 Yemen nationals
• 5 Iranians
• 3 Syrians
• 4 UAE nationals
• 2 Iraqis
• 2 from Saint Kitts and Nevis
• 1 sponsor from Jordan
• 2 Lebanese
• 1 Indian
• 1 Afghan
• 1 sponsor from Saudi Arabia
• 1 from great Britain

The sponsors and their nationalities are:

 Companies That Sponsor Terrorism in Nigeria and Their Operation Headquarter

While 38 individuals have been fingered in the new revelation, 15 companies were also listed sponsors of the terror group.

Some of the companies operate in the following sector:

• foreign exchange,
• Shipping
• Clearing and forwarding,
• Logistics
• IT service
• Medical services

The companies are:

Activities of Boko Haram have killed thousands of Nigerians, displaced millions of others majorly in the North-East part of the country.

Borno state is the worst hit by the activities of Boko Haram, Yobe, Adamawa, and others are also affected.

Recall that in 2020, the late Chadian leader Idriss Déby accused Nigeria of releasing captured Boko Haram fighters. He was killed on April 19, 2021.

Buhari’s Regime Uncovers 96 Boko Haram Sponsors

On Thursday, February 3, 2022, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari revealed that it had uncovered 96 sponsors of Boko Haram. But the government failed to release the names of the sponsors.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who made the disclosure said that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit also uncovers 424 associates and supporters of the financiers of terror in Nigeria.

The minister also said that 123 companies and 33 Bureaux De Change operators were linked with terrorism.

Nigeria Fails To Name Sponsors of Boko Haram

There have been questions why the Buhari’s government refused to name financiers of terrorism in Nigeria while UAE jailed terrorism sponsors.

As usual, when Lai Mohammed addressed the press on Thursday, February 3, 2022, he only released figures not names of people behind terrorism in the country.

He said:

“For its part, the analysis by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in 2020-2021, revealed 96 financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, involvement of about 123 companies and 33 bureaux de change, in addition to identifying 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and 7 co-conspirators. The analysis has resulted in the arrest of 45 suspects who will soon face prosecution and seizure of assets.”

North East is the epic centre of terrorism in Nigeria while their activities are being extended in other parts of the Northern region.

For instance, Boko Haram fighters have reportedly taken over some villages in the part of Niger State, a few kilometres from the capital city, Abuja.

Since assuming office in 2015, the APC-led government had consistently boasted that it would wipe off fighters of Boko haram, instead, the group has continued to take over more territories within Nigeria.

How Committed Is Buhari’s Government In Exposing Boko Haram Sponsors?

The commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to fighting and exposing the sponsor of the killer group is zigzag. It’s very difficult to know the direction in which the Buhari-led government is headed.

In 2020, the president approved a special operation comprising Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Department of State Services (DSS) to unravel the financial heavyweights supporting the terror financially.

And by May 2020, the operation arrested 400 persons and submitted their findings to the president.

They were reportedly arrested in several cities across the country including Kano, Abuja, Borno, Sokoto, Lagos, Adamawa, Zamfara, and Kaduna.

Since the arrest, nothing has been heard from the president except the regular announcement of granting amnesty to some unknown terrorists.

The silence of the president prompted the law firm of Femi Falana, on August 3, 2021, to request that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to provide information on the charges brought against the 400 persons who were indicted and arrested.

Again, nothing has been heard from the presidency.

Authorities in the United States had also offered to assist Nigeria to expose the sponsors of the killer group, but at the time of publication, the Buhari-led government was yet to accept the offer.

Judging from the body language of the president, who is the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Nigeria isn’t ready to expose the sponsors of those who have killed thousands of innocent Nigerians.

Would Nigerian authorities take action to reveal the names of the culprits sponsoring the terror group instead of pampering them with amnesty?

References:

• Photo collage by photocollage.com
• ENA: wam.ae/en/details/1395302969671
• treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/pages/jl0601.aspx