Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, has called on the nation’s banking sector to intensify efforts against terrorism financing and other illicit financial flows. During a Monday meeting with UBA Group Managing Director Oliver Alawuba at Army Headquarters in Abuja, Shaibu emphasized the financial industry’s crucial role in maintaining national stability and economic resilience.
Shaibu encouraged Alawuba, as head of the Body of Bank CEOs, to rally the banking community toward enhanced financial oversight and intelligence sharing, aiming to identify and prevent transactions linked to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and similar crimes. He noted that cutting off the financial support for criminal groups is vital to Nigeria’s counter-terrorism and security strategies.
The army chief also underscored the importance of improving personnel welfare as a foundation for operational effectiveness. In response, Alawuba pledged UBA’s continued support through specialized financial products, including mortgages, infrastructure funding, and welfare programs, as well as streamlined services for troops on peacekeeping missions abroad.