Terrorists exploiting social media, remittance platforms to raise funds – Bukarti
Security analyst and lawyer, Dr Bulama Bukarti, has warned Nigerians to be more careful when making online donations, saying terrorist groups are exploiting social media and international money transfer platforms to raise funds. Bukarti gave the warning during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, where he explained that some people unknowingly contribute to terrorism […] Terrorists…
Dr. Bulama Bukarti, a security analyst and lawyer, has cautioned Nigerians to exercise greater caution when making online donations, as terrorist organizations are leveraging social media and international money transfer platforms to accumulate funds. In an interview with Channels Television, Bukarti explained that individuals overseas often utilize platforms such as Telegram and Instagram to solicit donations from unsuspecting persons.
According to Bukarti, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)'s findings indicate that these individuals collect donations, ranging from $50 to $500, into a central account. They then break the funds into smaller denominations and dispatch them to various recipients in Nigeria via international remittance services. Bukarti highlighted that these actions are undertaken to circumvent Nigeria's stringent financial regulations.
Bukarti emphasized that his warning should not dissuade people from supporting genuine humanitarian or educational initiatives. He clarified that he was not advocating for Nigerians to abandon support for such causes but urged them to conduct thorough investigations, ascertain their recipients' identities, and ensure the trustworthiness of those receiving the donations.
Bukarti stressed the necessity for more robust measures to prevent terrorism financing, including enhanced links between Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) and SIM cards. He pointed out that some accounts linked to deceased individuals or operated by third parties have allegedly been utilized to facilitate the transfer of funds associated with terrorist activities.
The lawyer argued that tracing the movement of money is pivotal in combating terrorism. He advised Nigerians to be particularly cautious when asked to transport items on behalf of others. Bukarti implored security agencies to swiftly conduct investigations and prosecutions, emphasizing that shortcomings in law enforcement should not justify vigilante actions.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Post Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
