POLITICAL Economy

Oyo Government, EFCC Strengthen Efforts Against Terrorism Financing

by admin on | 2026-09-03 11:29:27

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Oyo Government, EFCC Strengthen Efforts Against Terrorism Financing

By Muhammad Bala Imam

The Oyo State Government has strengthened its collaboration with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prevent the misuse of financial channels, including humanitarian funding platforms, for terrorism financing and other criminal activities.

Acting Governor Bayo Lawal, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, announced the move on Tuesday at a capacity-building workshop focused on awareness, intelligence gathering and institutional responses to emerging threats linked to illicit financial flows.

The workshop was held at the Western Hall of the Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan.

Lawal said the evolving security situation in southwestern Nigeria, including recent kidnapping incidents, had heightened the need for stronger measures to detect and disrupt unconventional sources of criminal financing.

He said criminal networks were increasingly adopting sophisticated methods to raise, transfer and conceal funds, including through crowdfunding platforms, non-governmental organisations, humanitarian interventions and informal financial systems.

“While humanitarian assistance remains critical to supporting vulnerable communities, there is a need for improved regulatory frameworks, proper documentation, and effective monitoring to ensure such platforms are not hijacked by individuals or groups with criminal intentions,” Lawal said.

The acting governor said stronger financial intelligence and closer coordination among government institutions would be critical to disrupting criminal networks and preventing illicit funds from reaching those involved in terrorism and other organised crimes.

He urged representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies to improve their understanding of emerging terrorism-financing trends and develop mechanisms for early detection and prevention.

Lawal also called for the creation of dedicated desks within relevant government agencies to support intelligence sharing, monitor suspicious financial activities and facilitate rapid responses to emerging security threats.

The workshop brought together government officials, security stakeholders and experts to exchange knowledge on countering terrorism financing, strengthening institutional capacity and ensuring that legitimate humanitarian programmes are protected from financial abuse.

Among those in attendance were Oyo State Commissioner for Energy, Prof. Dahud Shangodoyin; Commissioner for Investment, Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Prof. Solihu Adelabu; Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; permanent secretaries, directors and other senior government officials.