The Federal Government has designated and sanctioned several individuals and entities, including prominent separatist leader Simon Ekpa, for their alleged involvement in financing terrorism.

The sanctions, which include the immediate freezing of all funds, assets, and economic resources, were announced following a meeting of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee in Abuja.

This decision was made in accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and received the approval of both the Attorney-General of the Federation and the President.

Government documents reveal that the committee has mandated financial institutions to identify and freeze all accounts linked to the designated individuals and entities without prior notice.

The sanctions extend to all funds, assets, and economic resources owned or controlled by the designated persons, including those that are jointly owned, indirectly controlled, or derived from their activities. Financial institutions are also required to file Suspicious Transactions Reports to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for further analysis.

The government emphasised that the freezing measures will apply to all accounts associated with the designated subjects, including those linked to their signatories and directors, to ensure comprehensive enforcement of the sanctions regime.