Terrorist financing networks are exploiting crowdfunding platforms, accounts operated through other people’s identities and telephone numbers registered to deceased persons to disguise the movement of illicit funds, according to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The details are contained in the agency’s 2025 Annual Report, which identified social media and online payment platforms among the channels allegedly being used to solicit and transfer funds. Foreign-based facilitators reportedly present some appeals as requests for humanitarian or educational assistance, attracting numerous relatively small contributions.
The NFIU said the use of modest individual payments can make suspicious transactions less likely to attract automated anti-money-laundering alerts. The money may subsequently be consolidated before being broken into further transfers and moved through international money-transfer services and remittance applications to intermediaries in Nigeria.
People including students, relatives and small-business operators were identified in the report as being used as money mules. According to the agency, funds can eventually be withdrawn as cash or used to acquire items including motorcycles, fertilisers and satellite internet equipment before reaching individuals involved in terrorist logistics and operations.
The financial intelligence agency also identified the use of accounts held in women’s names as another method for concealing the identities of those actually controlling the money. It said wives, sisters or female associates could have accounts secretly controlled by male commanders or logistics personnel.
The NFIU described the practice as “identity laundering.”
The agency further raised concerns over telephone numbers that do not correspond with the actual owners of bank accounts. It said pre-registered SIM cards, including numbers registered in the names of deceased people, have been used to make it more difficult to establish links between telephone numbers, bank accounts and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
The findings underline the difficulties confronting authorities as terrorist financing networks take advantage of digital payment systems, remittance channels and weaknesses in identity verification. The NFIU has previously issued guidance on risks associated with crowdfunding and terrorism financing.
