Expose, Prosecute Terror Sponsors, Arewa Forum, Oil Workers, Others Tell Tinubu

The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Yoruba group, Afenifere, and other groups have called on the Nigerian government to expose and prosecute sponsors of terrorism in the country.

The groups lending their voices to the fresh call include oil workers and lawyers, who insist that the federal government must charge terrorists and their sponsors to court.

The ACF contends that naming and shaming terrorists and their sponsors alone makes no sense, insisting instead that the government should arraign all suspects before competent courts.

Reacting to the calls for the government to name terrorists and their sponsors, the ACF national publicity secretary, Prof T. A. Muhammad-Baba, said the government must take a firm stance on terrorism for peace to reign in the country.

He said, “This issue of terrorism and its sponsors has been going on for a long time, but to me it seems we are beating around the bush. If the government knows terrorists and their sponsors, they should charge them in court.

“When the government charges those suspected terrorists and their sponsors to court, the public will know them. Terrorists are criminals and they should face trial. If the government knows terrorists and their sponsors, why is it delaying taking them to court?” he added.

Afenifere Asks Government to Identify, Prosecute Terrorism Financiers

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on the federal government to urgently identify and prosecute the financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, emphasising that tackling only kidnappers on the ground will not end the menace.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Friday on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, the national publicity secretary of Afenifere, Comrade Jare Ajayi, stated that terrorism had reached an alarming level.

He said the backing of influential figures and people of means continues to sustain the ongoing violence.

“The situation could not have deteriorated this badly if persons in high places did not support those perpetrating it,” Ajayi said.

“Banditry and terrorism cannot thrive without financing, sponsorship, and protection from powerful patrons.”

Ajayi applauded the National Assembly for demanding that the executive arm not only identify terrorism financiers but also prosecute them.

He welcomed lawmakers’ efforts to strengthen anti-terrorism legislation by prescribing the death penalty without the option of a fine for terrorism-related offences.

“Thousands of innocent lives have been lost, families wiped out, and properties worth billions destroyed. Those found guilty of such heinous crimes deserve the severest punishment, reflecting the merciless nature of their acts,” he said.

The Afenifere spokesperson further commended the plan to classify kidnapping, hostage-taking, and related offences as acts of terrorism.

He cited Senator Opeyemi Bamidele’s description of these crimes as “coordinated, commercialised, and militarised violence by organised criminal groups”, saying it underscores the necessity of empowering security agencies with enhanced operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools to dismantle terrorism networks and their enablers.

Govt Must Not Be Complicit – Middle Belt

Similarly, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has insisted that the federal government name terrorists and their sponsors and bring them to justice.

A statement issued by the MBF spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said Nigeria cannot win the war while the masterminds remain protected in the shadows and violence continues to escalate.

Expose Sponsors of Terrorists, Oil Workers Tell Federal Govt

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has also called on the federal government to reveal and prosecute terrorism sponsors, warning that worsening insecurity threatens workers, investments, and operations across the oil and gas industry.

The union’s national president, Comrade Festus Osifo, during the Executive Council meeting in Abuja yesterday, urged all tiers of government to act decisively to halt kidnappings and terrorism.

Osifo said the country could no longer afford repeated assurances without firm action, noting that rising attacks had forced school closures and endangered communities in several states.

He stated that the union’s NEC reviewed progress since the start of the year, including the successful handling of divestment transitions and the signing of several new collective bargaining agreements across branches.

He explained that while the industry had recorded gains, insecurity and economic hardship continued to hinder productivity and expose workers to danger.

He warned that the flight of skilled personnel remained a genuine threat, as global demand for oil and gas expertise is high.

According to him, the sector cannot withstand the level of brain drain seen in other professions and therefore needs stronger protections, better remuneration, and a safer operating environment.

Osifo also criticised repeated claims by government officials that they know the identities of terror financiers, insisting that arrests and prosecution must follow such statements.

He urged the authorities at all levels to prioritise security spending, including diverting funds from non-essential sectors to acquire the equipment needed to confront armed groups.

“We have all seen how insecurity has been plaguing our land, how this particular challenge has worsened in recent weeks.

“When they tell us that they know the sponsors of these terrorists, the question is: where are these sponsors? Why won’t you expose these sponsors, go after them, take them to court, and get them convicted?” he queried

FG Playing Politics With List of Terrorism Sponsors – Lawyers

As the clamour for the release of the list of terrorism sponsors intensifies, prominent lawyers have accused the federal government of playing politics by refusing to release it.

The lawyers, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Friday last night, urged the Bola Tinubu administration to make the list public.

According to them, Nigerians cannot continue to die while no concrete steps are taken to address the problem.

Mr Abdul Balogun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said too much politics surrounds the list the government claims to possess.

According to him, if the government indeed has the list of terrorism sponsors, the next step should have been to make it public.

“Why is the government holding onto the list if it claims it knows the sponsors of terrorism? Are they afraid of them? Are they playing politics with the list? Are the sponsors of terrorism backers of the government?

“Why is it difficult to release their names? I think the government should damn the consequences and go ahead and make the list public.”

Constitutional lawyer, Barrister Fred H. Eroh, said Nigerians cannot continue to live in fear of terrorists.

He said releasing the names of terrorism sponsors will go a long way in bringing an end to terrorism in Nigeria.

“If the government means well, these people should have been named and shamed long before now, but it’s even worse—the government is protecting them. Why?

“If you remember, when former President Jonathan was in power, he said Boko Haram had infiltrated the government. Obviously, some people in the government are sympathisers of these terrorist groups.

“Since the government says it has its list, nothing should stop it from making it public, except that what they are telling us isn’t true.

“But if indeed the government has the list, I don’t expect that up till now it should still be withholding it. The government will do Nigerians a lot of good by naming and shaming the sponsors,” he said.

Abuja-based lawyer James Ogeh called on the government to do more in the fight against terrorism to earn Nigerians’ trust.

He urged Nigerians to support the government while calling on the authorities to bring an end to terrorism once and for all.

“Terrorism has lingered for too long in the country. By now, an end should have come to it. Whoever is responsible, no matter how highly placed, should be named and shamed for all to see; with that, the confidence of the people in government will be boosted,” he said.