Some methods adopted by foreign sponsors of Boko Haram to launder money to the terrorist group have been uncovered, LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report. This development is coming on the heels of revelations by Major-General Garba Wahab, the general officer commanding (GOC), 1 Mechanised Division, Nigerian Army, that officers of the division have arrested an orange seller in Kaduna who allegedly spied for the group: his bank account had witnessed transactions of over N600million in just three months.
Initially, foreign groups, through agents in Nigeria, sent money through the normal banking channels and these funds can come classified as aid to support religion, humanitarian causes and any other excuse not frowned at by the laws of the land.
But with searchlights beamed on
money transfers, and considering that one cannot just stroll into a foreign airport with a large cache of money, funds abroad where “turned” into goods which are sent here and re-converted into cash bigger than the original.
A source who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter confided in LEADERSHIP that “because of the risk involved with banks where large movements of cash can be noticed, monitored and reported to relevant bodies, the foreign sponsorship is in handsets and accessories and torchlights here”.
The source, who said that the shipped goods are mainly cheap and from countries like Dubai and China, explained that what the groups are after is the high and fast turnover from the sales.
The source said, “Now, look at the number of people selling these things …as decoys. And you will know how much they remit to where they are supposed to remit to”.
Musa Abdullahi, a resident of Potiskum in Yobe State, told LEADERSHIP that he knew some youths who suddenly became rich when they started this business. He gave an instance of a boy who was killed by some terrorists in front of his family house.
Abdullahi said it was later found out that the group “opened the shop for the boy with the understanding that he would be getting supplies while he made an agreed remittance, but the boy later wanted to walk out and he was killed”. Abdullahi said the boy became relatively rich within three months, “which is not normal, considering the type of business and its little profit margin”.
According to investigations, the business, to the decoys, is lucrative and risks associated generally with highly profitable businesses are lacking.
A businessman in Kano (name and shop number withheld) disclosed to our reporters how he was recruited and how profitable the business is: “My shop was destroyed in the Farm Centre attack of 20th January, last year, by the Boko Haram and thus I lost everything,” said the man.
With nobody to come to his aid and family demands weighing him down, what to him was “succour by providence” came to him in the form of a businessman based in Abuja.
“Without capital,” he continued, “the Good Samaritan supplies me with these GSM accessories, rechargeable torchlights, table lamps, etc, which I sell.”
On how he balances the supplier, he reveals that the supplier does not collect the proceeds but that he (the seller) keeps 20 per cent of it while he gives 80 per cent to somebody else “who disturbs me with calls if on the agreed date he does not see alert from his bankers”.
When the Emir Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Bayero, was attacked on January 19, this year, a wheelbarrow pusher who ostensibly was selling these products called “kayan loki” barricaded the road and detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) as a signal for the gunmen to start shooting.
In many of their attacks, witnesses have seen how guns and ammunition were taken out of wheelbarrows and placed at strategic locations by the gunmen. Even though these products are sold by wheelbarrow pushers, some do so in kiosks.
Some people who have taken pains to study Boko Haram said that such businesses were key in oiling their day-to-day activities and upkeep of members while they attacked banks when they needed fast, big cash.
At times, according to the observers, moneys from sales remitted to individuals are withdrawn and remitted to various cells of the group in various towns.
Recently, Kabiru Sokoto, a Boko Haram kingpin who is facing charges at an Abuja high court, confessed to receiving, as his share, N500, 000 from a N40m fund sent to his group, which even caused a split among the members.
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