Nigeria’s Federal Government has defended its slow pace in bringing alleged terrorist financiers to trial, insisting that the individuals believed to be sponsoring Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed banditry can only be prosecuted after investigators assemble evidence strong enough to withstand international scrutiny.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stressed during a television appearance that the public often underestimates the technical depth required to build a watertight terror-financing case.
He argued that the absence of courtroom action should not be misinterpreted as a reluctance to confront those bankrolling insecurity.
His comments follow renewed public agitation, as critics accuse successive administrations of failing to make good on earlier promises to identify and prosecute the financiers propping up extremist networks across the North.
Many Nigerians still recall announcements under former President Muhammadu Buhari that several suspects had been flagged, only for the matter to go dormant.
Idris, however, maintained that the process is slow because it must be done right, not because the government is shielding anyone.
In his words, “People assume it’s as simple as publishing a list and marching suspects to court.
Terror financing is layered, covert and technologically sophisticated. One misstep can collapse an entire operation.”
He added that investigators must rely on intelligence-sharing with foreign partners, digital surveillance, and financial-tracking tools that take months, sometimes years, to assemble into admissible evidence.
“We’re dealing with networks that cross borders,” he said. “Rushing the process would only strengthen the criminals we’re trying to dismantle.”
Nevertheless, mounting public frustration reflects a growing distrust fuelled by years of violent attacks, mass abductions, and the sense that those who bankroll terror enjoy immunity.
Civil society groups have repeatedly argued that the lack of visible prosecutions weakens confidence in government efforts to restore peace.
Responding to this concern, Idris insisted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is not complacent.
He cited ongoing military operations that have neutralised more than 13,500 insurgents since 2023, along with the arrest of over 17,000 suspects linked to various criminal networks.
“Some of these individuals are already in court,” he added. “We just don’t make noise about every step taken.”
The minister also addressed delays in diplomatic appointments, confirming that a new roster of ambassadors is awaiting final security vetting.
He noted that intensified engagement with the United States and other partners aims to correct misinterpretations about Nigeria’s security landscape.
According to him, “We need our allies to understand that this crisis isn’t as straightforward as it appears from afar. Cooperation, regional or global, remains essential.”
The debate over terrorist financiers continues to shape national security discourse, placing pressure on the government to balance investigative precision with public demand for accountability.