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Security analyst and lawyer Bulama Bukarti has urged Nigerians to exercise greater caution when donating money or allowing their personal accounts and identities to be used by others, warning that such actions could inadvertently support terrorist financing.
Bukarti gave the warning while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, following the release of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) 2025 Annual Report.
The report highlighted how terrorist networks and their associates exploit crowdfunding, social media platforms, bank accounts and remittance channels to raise and move illicit funds while attempting to avoid detection.
According to the report, some foreign-based facilitators disguise fundraising campaigns as appeals for humanitarian, medical or educational assistance. They then solicit relatively small contributions through platforms including Telegram and Signal before moving the funds to Nigeria in smaller transactions designed to avoid anti-money laundering alerts.
Reacting to the findings, Bukarti said unsuspecting members of the public could become involved in illegal financial activities without realising it.
He advised Nigerians to establish who is behind fundraising campaigns and determine how the money will be used before making donations, particularly when the appeal comes from unfamiliar individuals or organisations.
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The analyst also cautioned people against allowing strangers to use their bank accounts, personal details or identities to receive or transfer funds.
He warned that Nigerians could equally expose themselves to serious risks by accepting or transporting packages and luggage for people they do not know or trust, as criminal networks could use unsuspecting individuals as couriers.
Bukarti further called for stronger coordination among agencies responsible for identity management and financial monitoring.
He specifically advocated improved integration of Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), SIM registration information and other identity databases to make it harder for criminal networks to exploit legitimate identities and financial channels.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the methods used by terrorist groups and their associates to collect, conceal and transfer funds through seemingly legitimate financial and humanitarian activities.
