By Derrick Bangura

As part of efforts to avert the imminent placement of Nigeria in the International Cooperation and Review Group Process of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its looming sanctions on the economy, the Senate on Wednesday passed a bill seeking to amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013, as well as prohibit payment of ransom to kidnappers in the country.

That was as former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd), appealed to the federal government to do more to secure the release of passengers abducted by terrorists during the Kaduna train attack. Umar made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday in Kaduna.

The passage of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (Amendment) Bill, 2022, followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), explained, “The need to comprehensively review the Terrorism Prevention Act arose from the unfavourable ratings of FATF recommendations of Nigeria’s Mutual Evaluation Report and consequent placement of Nigeria in FATF’s International Cooperation and Review Group Process with its impending sanctions on Nigeria’s economy.”

He stated that the National Task Force on improving Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime in Nigeria had proposed improvement on the Act in order to address the deficiencies noted in its provisions and align it with the required standard obtainable in other jurisdictions.

Two months ago, the federal government disclosed that it had uncovered 123 companies and 96 other entities linked to terrorism financing. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the companies included 33 Bureaux De Change (BDC). Mohammed also stated that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit uncovered the suspected companies and individuals.

The companies, which were alleged to be conduit for movement of money by terrorists, are yet to be tried by the federal government.

In the past few days, there have been increasing attacks by different terrorist groups across the country, with several lives lost, scores injured, and many kidnapped or missing and unaccounted for.

Curbing terrorism financing has remained a hard nut to crack for the Nigerian government either due to lack of political will or gaps in legislation. This has exacerbated insecurity and fear, what with the attempted attack on the Kaduna airport, attack on a Kaduna-bound train, and attack on security personnel and formations, all recently, as well as other nefarious activities by terrorist groups.

A recent report by the Financial Derivatives Company Limited revealed that in the past decade, an estimated 87,903 persons had died through assaults by Boko Haram, sectarian actors, and other armed bandits in the country, with a lot of Nigerians now living in fear.

Bamidele, in his presentation, said the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (Amendment) Bill, 2022, sought to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors, kidnappers, and terrorists for release of any person who had been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped.

According to the lawmaker, “The overall import of this bill is to discourage the rising spate of kidnapping and abduction for ransom in Nigeria, which is fast spreading across the country.”

He disclosed that in the memoranda presented to the committee, a plethora of issues relating to terrorism and terrorism financing, in line with global best practices, were raised. He assured that the amendment to the terrorism law would set standards and the regulatory system intended to prevent terrorist groups from laundering money through the banking system and other financial networks.

Bamidele added, “Having policies in place to combat financing of terrorism will surely reduce or eliminate privacy and anonymity in financial and other sundry transactions as it relates to the subject in our society.”

Furthermore, he emphasised that the proposed repeal and enactment bill was geared towards improving the effectiveness of countermeasures against terrorism, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing.

The senator noted that the repeal was aimed at providing adequate framework for improved international collaboration, inter-agency cooperation, and freezing of terrorist funds/assets.

Bamidele stated, “The passage of this bill will save Nigeria from being included among countries in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List with its attendant negative consequences, which might ultimately result to international sanctions that would affect the image of the country in the comity of nations.”

Senate President Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks after the passage of the bill, said it would complement the federal government’s efforts in the fight against insecurity, when signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Lawan said, “It is our belief here in the Senate that this bill, by the time signed into an Act by Mr. President, will enhance the efforts of this government in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other associated and related vices.

“This is one piece of legislation that can turn around not only the security situation in Nigeria, but even the economic fortunes of our country.

“We have done so much as a government, in terms of infrastructural development across all parts of this country, but because the security situation is not the kind of situation that we all want, this tends to overshadow all the tremendous and massive developments in our country.

“I believe that the executive will waste no time in signing this bill into law, and it is our hope that this additional piece of legislation will achieve the purpose for which it has been worked upon by the Senate, and, indeed, the National Assembly, and for which it would also be signed by Mr. President.

“Let me make it very clear here, that the fight against insecurity, whether it is kidnapping, terrorism or whatsoever, is not the sole role of a government.

“The contribution and support by citizens is essential, because our security agencies need vital and critical information against terrorism and other things that make life difficult for us.”

The upper chamber passed the bill after it scaled Third Reading on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary till May 10, for the Sallah break.

Umar Urges FG to Ensure Immediate Release of Kidnapped Victims of Kaduna Train Attack

Former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd), appealed to the federal government to do more to secure the release of victims of the Kaduna train abduction. In a statement issued in Kaduna, yesterday, Umar said the pictures of the victims, which trended on the social media, remained disturbing.

Umar also appealed to the international community, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to assist in the negotiations with the terrorists to secure the release of the victims. He prayed God to touch the hearts of the kidnappers to show mercy on their innocent and vulnerable victims.

Umar stated, “The pictures, to say the least, are most disturbing, particularly as they show exhausted and frightened women and children under the most harrowing conditions.

“I appeal to the federal government to do more to secure the immediate release of these innocent victims.

“I also appeal to the international community, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to assist in the negotiations which will be needed to effect that release.

“May God touch the hearts of the kidnappers to show mercy on these innocent and vulnerable victims. Amen.”

On March 28, terrorists attacked an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train and killed eight people, while several others were injured. Many people were abducted and are being held in captivity by the terrorists.

One of the two pregnant women among the passengers kidnapped during the attack on the Kaduna bound train had been delivered of her baby,.

The terrorists, who attacked and abducted the passengers, released four different pictures of their victims, numbering 62.

The gunmen had ambushed the train heading for Kaduna from the nation’s capital after bombing its rail track.

News had quoted the terrorists as insisting that they were not after a ransom, but exchange of the abducted passengers with their commanders, who were allegedly in government custody.

A family source confirmed that one of the two pregnant women among the kidnapped victims had given birth in the terrorists’ den with the help of doctors invited by the gang.

Sources said the terrorists appeared organised and coordinated because of the way they were able to get medical supplies into the forest, a development that is still shocking to both the government and security operatives.