The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has confirmed that Nigerian authorities are actively working to identify and prosecute individuals financing terrorism in the country, stressing that the process is complex due to legal and international factors.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa explained that terrorism in Nigeria is often linked to global networks, with some financiers receiving funds from abroad.

“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,” Musa said.

He noted that local operatives play a key role in moving money for terrorist groups.

“We know them. The local ones, what they do normally is to employ a few individuals, provide motorcycles for them, and those ones are remitting funds daily into some accounts. So, it’s being tracked. They try to circulate these monies, and that’s why it’s important for us to be able to track the funds,” he added.

General Musa commended the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for its role in uncovering financial links to terrorism.

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

He also confirmed that other security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), are monitoring potential political actors who may be contributing to insecurity.

“You know, criminals work together. They synergise their efforts together, both the bandits and terrorists, because one, a common goal they want to make money, they want to make sure communities are suffering for whatever reason. And again, some part of politics, when there is peace, it shows the government is doing well, and when there is no peace, it shows the government is not doing well. You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace,” Musa said.

Asked about the progress in identifying political actors behind terrorism, Musa replied: “Work is in progress.”

He further highlighted the need for judicial reforms to expedite terrorism prosecutions. “I can tell you that the DSS, the NIA, the NFIU and the DIA are all working assiduously to ensure… and again, it has to do with the legal system. We have to review our legal system because some of the punishments and prosecutions take too long. 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 said.