EFCC to Arraign US-Blacklisted Lagos BDC Operator Over Alleged ISIS Financing

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign a Lagos-based Bureau De Change operator, Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, over alleged terrorism financing linked to the Islamic State, sources within the anti-graft agency have disclosed. According to senior EFCC officials familiar with the investigation, the commission had already concluded significant aspects of its probe and was preparing criminal charges against the suspect when the United States government announced sanctions against him over alleged links to ISIS. “We investigated these individuals and the BDC companies for terrorism financing and were preparing charges against them when the U.S. indicted them,” a source familiar with the investigation told The PUNCH.

The development follows the designation of Muhammad and three Nigerian companies by the United States as alleged financial facilitators for ISIS operations. The sanctions formed part of a broader action targeting three individuals and six entities accused of facilitating the movement of funds for ISIS activities across several countries, including France, Syria, Türkiye and Nigeria. In a statement issued on Monday, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Thomas Pigott said the Nigerian national named in the sanctions is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, also known as Mukhtar Muhammad, a Bureau De Change operator based in Lagos State. According to U.S. authorities, Muhammad and the affected companies acted as financial conduits for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) by facilitating the movement of funds on behalf of the terrorist organisation. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control alleged that the firms were owned, controlled or directed by Muhammad and used to move funds for ISWAP. The sanctions freeze any assets or interests in property belonging to the designated individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with them.

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The Nigerian firms linked to Muhammad and named in the sanctions include Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, which is Lagos-based; Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, also Lagos-based; and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, which is Kano-based. Authorities in the United States accused the Lagos-based BDC operator of helping move funds linked to the Islamic State’s West African network through financial channels operating in Nigeria. According to OFAC, Mr Muhammad operated from Lagos and played a significant role in ISWAP’s financial network by transferring money through the three BDC firms, enabling the movement of funds that supported the group’s operations.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee has welcomed the decision by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control to blacklist Muhammad, Nine to Nine Bureau De Change, and Generation BDC Limited over alleged links to terrorism financing. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the committee disclosed that the U.S. action followed Nigeria’s earlier designation of the individuals and entities under the Nigeria Sanctions List on June 18, 2026. According to the committee, the sanctions were based on extensive intelligence gathering, financial investigations and inter-agency assessments which established reasonable grounds to believe the affected individuals and entities facilitated, financed or otherwise supported the activities of ISWAP and affiliated terrorist networks. “These designations follow the inclusion of Adamu and his companies as part of a broader update to the Nigeria Sanctions List approved and published on June 18, 2026,” the committee stated.

The committee listed the sanctioned individuals as Ibrahim Yakubu Ogirima (NLISWi.19), Muktar Muhammad Adamu (NLISWi.20), Adamu Chiroma (NLISWi.21), Ibrahim Abubakar (NLISWi.22), Abdullahi Umar Usman (NLISWi.23), and Babangida Muhammed Adamu Hammajam (NLISWi.24). The affected companies are Abbal Bako & Sons Bureau De Change Limited (NLISWe.25), Generation Currency BDC Limited (NLISWe.26), and Nine to Nine BDC Limited (NLISWe.27).

The Federal Government reiterated its directive to financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions to comply fully with sanctions obligations, including asset-freezing requirements, the filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports and the reporting of all relevant matches to the appropriate authorities. The sanctions committee also commended the efforts of major government institutions involved in the investigation, including the Federal Ministry of Justice, Office of the National Security Adviser, Central Bank of Nigeria, Department of State Services, EFCC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to combating terrorism financing, the committee said the government would continue working with domestic institutions and international partners to deny terrorist groups access to financial resources. “Nigeria remains resolute in ensuring terrorists and their financiers find no safe haven within the country’s financial system,” the committee said.

Although the EFCC has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, sources said the commission’s investigation focused on alleged terrorism financing activities and financial transactions suspected to be linked to terrorist operations. The sources, however, declined to disclose when formal charges would be filed.

EFCC to Arraign US-Blacklisted Lagos BDC Operator Over Alleged ISIS Financing

Police Dismiss Viral Katsina Video, Say Armed Men Are Vigilantes, Hunters

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has categorically dismissed claims circulating on social media that a viral video from Katsina State showed a police officer fraternising with armed bandits, insisting that the individuals featured are recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters supporting security operations in the state. The controversy erupted after a video showing a long convoy of motorcycle riders passing stationary vehicles while a police officer appeared to wave at them went viral on social media. Background voices captured in the footage further fuelled speculation, with one person referring to the riders as “barayin daji”, a Hausa term commonly used to describe bandits.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, categorically refuted the narrative accompanying the video, describing it as false, misleading, and malicious. The police explained that the footage captured a routine interaction between a police officer and community-based security volunteers as they proceeded to a designated operational area in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State. “For the avoidance of doubt, the individuals featured in the video are not bandits. They are duly recognised members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and registered hunters who are actively supporting ongoing security operations in collaboration with security agencies in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas of Katsina State,” the statement read in part. The police stressed that any claim suggesting the officer was interacting with bandits is entirely false and intended to mislead the public. The Force condemned what it described as the deliberate distortion of facts and the circulation of misinformation capable of causing public anxiety, undermining confidence in security institutions, and frustrating ongoing security operations.

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An independent review of the footage shows dozens of motorcycles travelling in a convoy along a rural road. A man wearing police camouflaged uniform is seen standing beside another security operative dressed in a black top and red cap as the convoy passes. The video does not clearly establish the identity of the riders. While some appear to be carrying long objects believed to be firearms, the footage is not clear enough to determine with certainty their specific type. Notably, there is no visible confrontation between the convoy and the security personnel, and the vehicles parked by the roadside, with passengers inside, were left untouched. Security experts noted that community-based security partnerships have increasingly become part of Nigeria’s counter-banditry strategy, particularly in North West states where local hunters, vigilante groups, and other volunteer forces provide intelligence and operational support to conventional security agencies.

The police urged members of the public to disregard the misleading claims attached to the video and rely only on information disseminated through official channels of the Nigeria Police Force and other authorised government sources. The Force warned individuals and groups engaged in the creation, publication, or dissemination of false information capable of prejudicing public peace and security to desist immediately, noting that appropriate legal action may be taken against violators. “The Force warns individuals and groups engaged in the creation, publication, or dissemination of false information capable of prejudicing public peace and security to desist immediately, as appropriate legal action may be taken against violators,” the statement added. Reaffirming its commitment to public safety, the Nigeria Police Force said it would continue collaborating with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners in the collective effort to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country. “The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to working with legitimate community-based security stakeholders and other relevant partners in the collective effort to protect lives, safeguard communities, and combat crime across the country,” the statement concluded.

Police Dismiss Viral Katsina Video, Say Armed Men Are Vigilantes, Hunters

Mike Ozekhome Barred from Using SAN Title as LPPC Orders Suspension

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has suspended the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank of prominent constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Professor Mike Ozekhome, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him.

The decision was taken during the LPPC’s 173rd General Meeting held on June 23, 2026, and communicated in a statement signed by the committee’s Secretary and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Kabir Eniola Akanbi.

According to the committee, the suspension was approved pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, pending the final determination of disciplinary proceedings currently before the LPPC’s Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee.

The LPPC stated that the action was necessary to preserve the integrity, dignity and prestige associated with the SAN rank while the allegations and related proceedings are being reviewed.

“The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), at its 173rd General Meeting held on 23 June 2026, approved the suspension of Chief Mike Ozekhome from the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” the statement read.

The committee further directed Ozekhome to immediately cease presenting himself or holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria until the disciplinary process is concluded.

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“Accordingly, Chief Mike Ozekhome shall refrain from parading himself, presenting himself, or otherwise holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings,” the LPPC added.

Although the committee did not disclose the specific allegations that prompted the suspension, the development comes amid ongoing legal controversies involving the senior lawyer. Reports indicate that Ozekhome is facing criminal proceedings linked to a disputed London property ownership case in which allegations of forgery, impersonation and the use of allegedly forged documents have been raised.

The senior advocate has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains his innocence regarding the allegations.

The case has attracted widespread attention within legal circles, particularly following reports that the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution of the matter. The dispute reportedly centers on ownership claims relating to a London property allegedly connected to the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni.

Legal analysts note that disciplinary action against holders of the SAN rank is relatively rare, making the LPPC’s decision one of the most significant professional sanctions involving a senior member of the legal profession in recent years.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title remains the highest professional distinction awarded to legal practitioners in Nigeria. The rank is reserved for lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to legal practice, advocacy, scholarship and the advancement of the rule of law.

Ozekhome, a professor of law and one of Nigeria’s most recognizable constitutional lawyers, has built a distinguished legal career spanning several decades. He is widely known for his involvement in high-profile constitutional, electoral and human rights cases, as well as his vocal advocacy for democracy, civil liberties and judicial independence.

The LPPC emphasized that the suspension should not be interpreted as a final determination of guilt. Rather, it described the action as an interim measure designed to protect public confidence in the SAN rank while disciplinary proceedings continue.

“The LPPC remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity and discipline within the legal profession and to ensuring that the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria continues to command public confidence and respect,” the statement added.

The outcome of the disciplinary proceedings is expected to determine whether Ozekhome’s SAN privileges will be restored or whether further sanctions may be imposed.

Mike Ozekhome Barred from Using SAN Title as LPPC Orders Suspension