UAE convictions on Boko Haram terrorism is exposing Nigeria’s failures

The arrest, prompt prosecution and sentencing of six Boko Haram sponsors in the United Arab Emirates exposes Nigeria’s abject failure to tackle its home-grown terrorism. 

The government should face reality: the war on terror cannot be won by military assault alone, but by a multi-pronged strategy combining intelligence, effective law enforcement, international cooperation, prosecution and blockage of the sources of funding, arms and logistics of terrorist networks.

Convicted for funding Boko Haram through money transfers from Dubai to Nigeria, two of the felons were jailed for life and four to 10 years apiece. Through the bureau de change they operated, they wired a total of $782,000 to the terror group in 2019. The UAE security agents reportedly broke up the funding ring through undercover policing and monitoring of financial transactions. Significantly, the facilitators that arrange the movement of cash to the terror group are reportedly at large. But the UAE court proceedings provided actionable intelligence that Boko Haram uses undercover agents for this purpose; “one of them, ‘Alhaji Sa’idu,’ is allegedly based in Nigeria and responsible for facilitating the group’s access to funds from its sponsors.”  Another, “Alhaji Ashiru,” is tagged as a “Nigerian government official and senior undercover Boko Haram member” who facilitates the transfer of misappropriated public funds to the group! This is outrageous.

In any other country, the revelations would have triggered serious intelligence activity to track suspicious money transfers, identify and interdict alleged collaborators within the government and security apparatus. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami’s response appeared languid. That he has written to the UAE authorities asking for details exposes lack of cooperation between both countries despite an existing pact on anti-corruption and membership of a Saudi-led alliance against terror. His concern over whether the convicts got fair hearing suggests that Nigerian officials were probably not involved. Countries fighting terrorism maintain robust cooperation and intelligence-sharing.

Nigeria’s strategy — if there is any — is unscientific, riddled with political considerations and therefore ineffective. Beyond military assault, the critical game-winners include robust intelligence, interdiction of the sources of funding and logistics and winning over of hearts and minds.

Governments worldwide have learnt that pre-emptively destroying the capacity of terrorists to strike is more achievable than “defeating,” and that breaking up networks, cutting of their oxygen, by “following the money,” and deploying extensive technology tools and intelligence gathering are the routes to success. The United States National Strategy for Combating Terrorism emphasises fighting terrorism as an asymmetric war, requiring deploying financial monitoring tools, superior technology, intelligence, international cooperation, shutting down terrorist networks and acting pre-emptively to preclude attacks.

Nigeria fails to identify, arrest, prosecute sponsors, disrupt funding and supply networks. In 11 years, very few terrorists have been prosecuted; no sponsor or financier has been identified and tried. As president, Goodluck Jonathan alleged that Boko Haram sympathisers and sponsors were within his government, even in the Presidential Villa. Senators and some field commanders have alleged the presence of moles. Recently, the US military’s Africa Command said it stopped passing intelligence to Nigerian security because within hours, Boko Haram would know! In June, the Nigerian Army said the responsibility of revealing the sponsors belonged to the intelligence agencies.

Stressing how disrupting the flow of terrorist funding is critical to stopping them, INTERPOL identified sources of funding to include kidnapping, illicit trade in commodities and digital currencies. The International Crisis Group reported that Boko Haram/ISWAP raise funds through levying taxes on communities, miners, cattle rustling, kidnapping and contributions from sympathisers. It also identified cooperation between Fulani militants, bandits and kidnappers. The intelligence services need to disrupt these networks.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and the security agencies must stop trivialising terrorism. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt where the salafist ideology birthed do not. It is not an ordinary crime where you can dissuade a fighter; it is rooted in a belief system. “Terrorism,” said the FBI, “erupts at the nexus of an alienated individual, a legitimising ideology and an enabling community.” Terrorists are highly motivated, tenacious and adaptable.

The intelligence community should concentrate on cutting off their funding, identifying sponsors and bringing enablers to trial. It has the institutional tools – laws and regulations – but lacks the will. The Financial Action Taskforce and the Egmont Group networks to which Nigeria belongs should be fully utilised. “The ability to prevent and detect money-laundering is a highly effective means of identifying criminals and terrorists and the underlying activity from which money is derived,” says the Egmont Group.

Instead of its ill-conceived “de-radicalisation” of murderers, there should be a holistic assault combining military operations, intelligence-human and technological, cutting off funds, supplies, arms, food and medicines to the terrorists. The BDCs that have unprecedented leeway in Nigeria should be closely monitored and the laws on money laundering strictly enforced. The State Security Service should uncover “Saidu” and “Ashiru,” while the military, police and intelligence agencies should unmask moles within their ranks. An allegation that a state governor was sponsoring terrorism publicly attracted security harassment for the accuser rather than the expected investigation. This is wrong-headed.

Nigeria has lost too much to terrorism; too many soldiers, airmen, police and paramilitary personnel have been killed or maimed. The Borno State Government insists that over 100,000 persons have been killed. About 2.3 million others are displaced, 250,000 of them to Cameroon, said the Global Terrorism Index. The UNDP estimates the economic cost to Nigeria at $97 billion by 2019, 22,000 times the cost of terrorism to Burkina Faso and 19 times greater than for Libya, the second highest economic victim of terrorism in Africa. Nigeria accounted for 89 per cent of the $109 billion lost by 18 countries surveyed.

No country can on its own defeat terrorism and terrorists know no borders. There should be greater cooperation with other countries. Criminals should be prosecuted swiftly, not pampered. The government has been uncharacteristically enthusiastic in tracking funding and sponsors of #EndSARS; it should direct its energies to identifying terrorism financiers and sponsors.