IN 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a group of six individuals connected to Nigeria-based terrorist group, Boko Haram. All the six Nigerians were found guilty of setting up a Boko Haram cell in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to raise funds totalling $782,000 for insurgents in Nigeria before 2022.

The names of the six convicted persons are: Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad. Neither the UAE nor the U.S. spared these individuals like it is often done in Nigeria. Rather, the UAE jailed 2 of them for life and 4 others for 10 years.

 “OFAC’s action follows arrests, prosecutions, and designations in the UAE in September 2021, demonstrating the commitment of the Emirati government to using judicial measures and targeted financial sanctions to disrupt the flow of funds to these networks,” the U.S. Department of Treasury said.

The U.S. Department of State classified Boko Haram as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organisation’ and a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ on November 14, 2013.

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Salihu Yusuf Adamu and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad were sentenced to life imprisonment for violations of the UAE anti-terrorism laws, while Abdurrahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, and Ibrahim Ali Alhassan were sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by deportation.  In other words, the individuals will be deported to Nigeria in 2032 – after serving their jail terms.

Further sanctions

The U.S. also confiscated properties belonging to the individuals. “All property and interests in property of the individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, must be blocked and reported to OFAC,” said the U.S. Department of Treasury.

“Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.”

The erroneous assertion

Many a time, several Nigerians have alleged that the UAE submitted a list of Boko Haram sponsors to Nigeria. But that is just half-truth. While the UAE alerted Nigeria about the matter, it first jailed those individuals, considering that the crime was committed in the West Asian nation.

“So, the people have been jailed in the UAE, and their properties confiscated in the UAE and the U.S. Thank God they were not brought back to Nigeria because they would probably have been freed. But to clear the air, the individuals are still in jail, so there is nothing Nigeria can do about them right now until they finish their jail terms – particularly for the other four,” said a security analyst, who preferred anonymity.

“However, what Nigeria can do is to go after those individuals who received the funds. How did they wire the funds? Is it through banks or other channels? Who are the enablers? Who facilitated the funds delivery to Boko Haram? There are several questions that should be occupying the National Security Adviser’s mind now.”

Boko Haram, others more emboldened

Terrorists are now more emboldened to carry out fiercer attacks in Nigeria, particularly in schools. On Monday, gunmen kidnapped 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, shooting the principal. Two students, however, escaped.

The late-night attack left the vice principal, Mr Hassan Yakubu Makuku, dead after he reportedly tried shielding the students from the attackers. “It is a heartbreaking tragedy that has thrown the entire region into deep fear and mourning,” said a resident, Ms Murjanatu Hassan Gishiri, who confirmed the incident.

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The same day, terrorists kidnapped Fr. Bobbo Paschal from St. Stephen Parish of Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, where he serves as Parish Priest. “During the attack, many others were abducted, and the brother of Fr. Anthony Yero was killed,” said Chancellor of the Nigerian Metropolitan See,  Fr. Christian Okewu Emmanuel.

On Tuesday, no fewer than five persons were killed and several others abducted after terrorists attacked Eruku, a boundary town with Kogi State, in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Gunmen also attacked a church in the town in the evening of the same day, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers. The attack may have amplified the claim by United States lawmakers and President Donald Trump that a Christian genocide is going on in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s president also confirmed that Brig. Gen. Musa Uba was killed by a terrorist group while in captivity, days after he was kidnapped by ISWAP militants in Borno State. The attack had also claimed the lives of four other soldiers.

In spite of reports that Gen Uba had been killed and an earlier image showing him in ISWAP captivity, the Nigerian Army claimed he was alive – until President Tinubu cleared the air.

Earlier on Saturday, terrorists killed three persons and abducted at least 64 others at Fegin Baza village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The incident happened a day after Minister of State for Defence and former governor of the state, Mr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, visited the state and claimed that the Defence Headquarters had deployed fresh troops, according to Daily Trust.

The terrorists also kidnapped 215 pupils in a Catholic school in Niger State on Thursday.