Nigeria: discovery of hundreds of suspected terrorist financiers

Nigerian government has uncovered more than 120 companies and 96 individuals linked to the financing of terrorism, the information minister has said.

Minister Lai Mohammed, said 45 people suspected of funding terrorism had been arrested and would soon be prosecuted.

He said Nigeria’s financial crimes agency recovered at least $750m in local and foreign currency linked to corruption.

Last month, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission increased the power of the authorities to monitor financial links with suspected jihadist groups, the BBC reported.

President Muhammadu Buhari, now in his second term, was elected on a promise to fight corruption and recover huge sums of money stolen from Nigeria.