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The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) has challenged the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, to expose the religious groups acting as financiers for terrorism in the country.
This is coming on the heels of recent declarations by Olukoyede that the anti-graft agency had uncovered a religious sect that launders money for terrorists.
The EFCC boss disclosed this while speaking at a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption” at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
He added that another religious body was found to be protecting a money launderer after some money suspected to have been laundered was traced to the bank account of the said organisation.
Reacting in a statement by its President, Sheikh AbdulRasheed Hadiyahtullah and Secretary, Malam Nafi’u Ahmed, on Sunday, the SCSN called for proper legal action against anyone found complicit in financing the activities capable of undermining the nation's security.
“Regarding the recent disclosure by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about religious groups sponsoring insurgency in Nigeria, the Council demands the Commission to disclose the identity of the religious body allegedly sponsoring terrorism/insurgency with N7 billion out of N13 billion traced to its account.
“This revelation has sent shockwaves across the nation, raising concerns about potential fund misuse for activities threatening Nigeria’s peace and security. The gravity of the situation calls for immediate public clarification of the group and decisive action to address the disturbing nexus between religious groups and insurgency.
“Accordingly, we urgently call upon the EFCC to publish the list of all sponsors involved in criminal activities. The alleged disclosure of N7 billion linked to a religious group’s account is a matter of grave concern, and citizens demand proper legal action against sponsors and those found complicit in financing activities undermining the nation’s security.
“We further call on the EFCC to expedite the release of the list of sponsors and collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure prompt legal actions are taken,” the group said.
On the recent killings and destruction of property in Plateau State, the SCSN demanded a comprehensive and impartial approach to resolving the problem.
“The total exclusion of Muslim representation in the security committee not only disregards the diverse fabric of the state (with at least 40 per cent Muslims) but also jeopardises the effectiveness of the committee in addressing the root causes of the ongoing conflicts.
“We urgently call for a reevaluation of the committee’s composition to ensure that it is truly representative of the entire population. The current imbalance not only undermines the principles of justice but also hinders the development of a united front against the challenges faced by the state.
“We, therefore, demand, as a right and in the interest of equity, the Governor to heed this call for justice and equitable representation, as his action is sending a disturbing message to the world and creating a recipe for compounding the crisis,” the statement added.