By Jelili Gbadamosi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned against the use of Non-profit Organisations (NPOs) as channels for financing terrorism in Oyo State.
The EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, urged the Oyo State Government to strengthen regulation of NPOs by enacting a law that would provide for their registration, monitoring and supervision.
Olukoyede said such legislation would help prevent humanitarian donations and other funds meant for charitable activities from being diverted to terrorist groups.
He spoke through the Lagos Zonal Coordinator of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), Assistant Commander of EFCC, ACE 1 Ibinabo Amachree, during a three-day 2026 National Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment exercise in Ibadan.
The exercise, which began on September 1 and ended on September 3, focused on assessing terrorism financing risks within the NPO sector across the South-West.
It brought together officials from Oyo State ministries, departments and agencies, security agencies and representatives of non-governmental organisations.
Olukoyede said the growing security challenges in the South-West, including recent kidnapping incidents, had made it necessary to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by terrorist networks to raise or move funds.
He stressed the need for stringent registration and effective monitoring of NPO activities to ensure that the sector was not turned into a conduit for terrorism financing.
The EFCC chairman, however, commended NPOs for their contributions to social development and urged them to continue supporting government efforts in areas including humanitarian assistance, healthcare and support for vulnerable populations.
He also called on NPOs to use the sensitisation programme to strengthen safeguards around their finances and operations.
Speaking on behalf of the Oyo State Acting Governor, Bayo Lawal, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde, assured the EFCC of the state’s continued cooperation.
Babatunde said terrorists were increasingly exploiting crowdfunding, humanitarian interventions and informal financial channels to raise and transfer funds.
He assured that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde would take necessary steps to prevent NPOs from being exploited for terrorism financing.
The Oyo State Director of the Department of State Services, Usman Biu, said the command had continued to profile and vet registered NGOs forwarded to it before they commence operations in the state.
Similarly, the representative of the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General M.I. Falana, said the military would continue to share timely intelligence that could help uncover terrorism financing activities.
At the conclusion of the exercise, NPOs from Oyo, Lagos and Osun states were sensitised on compliance with regulatory requirements and the need to maintain public trust in charitable organisations.
The EFCC said the exercise was part of Nigeria’s broader effort to strengthen risk-based supervision and align its terrorism financing controls with international standards.
