From Uthman Abubakar Maiduguri
The National Technical Risk Assessment Committee on Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) Theater Command have joined forces to combat terror financing in Nigeria’s North-East.
This joint terror-financing battle was launched in Maiduguri, Wednesday, August 18, when the committee visited the the Theater Command as part of the ongoing 2026 National Technical Risk Assessment of Non-Profit Organisations in Nigeria.
The committee’s Team Leader, Mrs Ibinabi Amachree, said the collaboration is aimed at identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities that could be exploited to finance terrorism in the North East.
Mrs Amachree explained that the assessment builds on the findings of the 2022 National Risk Assessment and is being conducted ahead of Nigeria’s next international evaluation on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing.
She noted that the 2022 assessment identified the North East and North West as areas of elevated terrorism-financing risk, with vulnerabilities including non-compliance with established operational procedures, movement of large volumes of cash without adequate documentation and security arrangements, as well as the potential exploitation of humanitarian and service oriented organisations by terrorist groups.
Mrs Amachree said the current assessment adopts a risk-based approach to identify NPOs that may be particularly vulnerable to abuse for terrorism-financing purposes, disclosing that relevant agencies had developed measures to strengthen the monitoring of identified high risk organisations, including appropriate due diligence and vetting of personnel and vendors engaged by NPOs operating in vulnerable areas.
Responding, the Theatre Commander, Operation HADIN KAI, Theater Command, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, described terrorism financing as a critical enabler of terrorist activities and stressed the need to disrupt the financial lifelines that sustain terrorist organisations.
He reaffirmed that OPHK would continue to support legitimate humanitarian and non-profit activities while ensuring strict compliance with established security and operational procedures within the theatre.
The Theatre Commander, however, disclosed that the movement of cash and humanitarian supplies without adequate documentation, security coordination and escort remains a concern.
He therefore urged NPOs and humanitarian organisations to provide sufficient advance notice of planned movements to enable OPHK to coordinate security escorts, route protection and, where necessary, air support.
He also called for proper due diligence and security screening of local vendors and service providers contracted by humanitarian organisations. END
