* Lateef Fagbemi
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The Pathfinder
Sunday April 12,2026
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The Federal Government has intensified its crackdown on terrorism financing, unveiling a sweeping list of 48 individuals and groups allegedly linked to funding violent activities across the country, with plans underway to extradite key suspects including Simon Ekpa and Tukur Mamu.
The list, released on Saturday by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, came barely 24 hours after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation concluded the ninth phase of mass trials involving over 500 suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgency.
During the four-day proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, 10 judges secured a total of 386 convictions, with sentences ranging from prison terms to life imprisonment. The trials were led by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo. Many of the defendants were represented by lawyers from the National Legal Aid Council.
Beyond sentencing, the courts also ordered that several convicts undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes.
Reacting to the outcome, the Attorney General said the convictions send a strong warning to those involved in terrorism and its financing.
“There is no space for them here in Nigeria,” he declared, stressing that the government remains committed to bringing perpetrators to justice.
Shortly after the trials, the sanctions committee published the list of suspected financiers, which includes already proscribed groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ansaru, and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Among the high-profile individuals named is Simon Ekpa, described as a self-proclaimed Biafran leader. Ekpa was convicted in September 2025 by a Finnish court and sentenced to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences, including supplying weapons and inciting violence through online platforms.
Also listed is Tukur Mamu, who is currently facing a 10-count terrorism charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, has fixed April 23 for the commencement of his defence after the prosecution closed its case.
Mamu, a Kaduna-based cleric and publisher, is accused of acting as a negotiator for terrorists involved in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack and allegedly collecting large sums of money from victims’ families on behalf of insurgents. The Federal Government claims he received about $420,000 and over ₦21 million, in addition to other ransom payments linked to the attack.
According to the prosecution, Mamu also maintained communication with a Boko Haram spokesperson and concealed proceeds of terrorism at his residence. He was arrested in September 2022 at Cairo Airport with the assistance of Interpol and subsequently returned to Nigeria, where he has remained in custody.
Security agencies further alleged that he used his position as a media publisher as a cover for illicit dealings and was en route to a secret meeting with terrorist commanders at the time of his arrest.
The sanctions list also includes dozens of other individuals and entities suspected of financing terrorism across the country.
Authorities have indicated that extradition processes will soon begin to ensure that suspects currently outside Nigeria are brought back to face prosecution, signaling a new phase in the government’s counter-terrorism efforts.