CDS Christopher Musa: Process Underway to Identify, Prosecute Terrorism Financiers in Nigeria

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has confirmed that efforts are actively underway to identify and prosecute terrorism financiers in Nigeria, though the process is being slowed by legal and international complexities.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa explained that some of the funds used to sponsor terrorism originate from outside Nigeria, making domestic action alone insufficient.

“I think the process is on, I can speak for this government … and because it has to do with a lot of legal issues and because again, it has to do with international connections. Some of them have funds coming from outside, we cannot do anything from within,” he said.

Musa disclosed that many local terrorism financiers operate through intermediaries who receive money and make daily deposits into targeted accounts, a system currently being tracked by intelligence agencies.

“We know them. The local ones… employ a few individuals, provide motorcycles for them and those ones are remitting funds daily into some accounts. So, it’s being tracked,” he explained.

The CDS praised the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its significant role in exposing financial networks tied to terrorist activities.

“The NFIU has been doing so much… the financial links are also being followed through and arrests have been made. I can assure you the Attorney-General of the Federation and the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) are all working seriously to ensure that we address those issues,” he stated.

On the link between politics and insecurity, General Musa hinted at possible involvement of political actors in sponsoring violence, especially in the lead-up to elections.

“You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace… The funny thing is, how do you want to kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?”

He noted that insecurity often rises around election periods, drawing attention to the sudden spike in violence compared to the previous year, which recorded the lowest number of deaths.

“Criminals work together—bandits and terrorists—because they share a common goal: to make money and destabilise communities. When there is peace, it shows the government is doing well. When there is no peace, it weakens public trust in the government,” Musa added.

When asked whether political sponsors of terrorism had been identified, he responded:

“Work is in progress.”

General Musa also called for reforms in Nigeria’s legal system to ensure faster prosecution of terrorism-related cases.

“We have to review our legal system… maybe if we have a special court that will treat (terrorism) cases as quickly as they are. I think we also need to review the punishment for offences,” he recommended.

He confirmed that agencies like the DSS, NIA, NFIU, and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) are collaborating to trace and dismantle terrorism financing networks, including those potentially tied to political figures.