The Nigerian government has taken action against several individuals and organizations, including separatist figure Simon Ekpa, over allegations of financing terrorism.
Authorities announced the decision in Abuja after a meeting of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, leading to an immediate freeze on their bank accounts, assets, and economic resources.
The move follows the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and was approved by the Attorney-General and the President.
Financial institutions have been instructed to block all accounts linked to the affected individuals and organizations without prior notification.
Reports on suspicious transactions related to these accounts must be submitted to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for further investigation.
The restrictions apply to all funds, assets, and properties belonging to those named, including those they control directly or indirectly.
This also covers accounts held jointly with others.
Companies connected to the sanctioned individuals are also affected, with their accounts and those of their directors placed under similar restrictions.
Authorities have urged financial institutions to comply fully with the directive and report any actions taken in response to the sanctions.
The government has also called for close monitoring of the financial activities of those affected to prevent any attempts to bypass the restrictions.
Among those designated are several individuals and entities, each identified with their date of birth and multiple bank accounts across various financial institutions, including Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, UBA, Moniepoint, Opay, Fidelity, Zenith, and Eco Bank.
News About Nigeria gathered that the list includes both personal and business accounts linked to different banks.
