By Benson Daniel
The Inter Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has urged religious leaders across the region to play a stronger role in preventing money laundering, terrorist financing and other forms of organised financial crime.
The call was made as the regional body intensifies efforts to involve community and religious institutions in the fight against financial crimes and violent extremism. GIABA said religious leaders have significant influence within their communities and can help promote awareness, discourage illicit activities and strengthen social resilience.
GIABA said West Africa continues to face serious threats from money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and corruption. These crimes, it noted, increasingly operate across national borders and pose risks to peace, stability and sustainable development.
The organisation particularly highlighted the security situation in the Sahel, where terrorism and violent extremism have continued to create humanitarian, economic and security challenges.
According to GIABA, religious and traditional leaders are strategically positioned to support efforts aimed at preventing radicalisation, promoting dialogue and strengthening social cohesion.
The organisation said greater involvement of faith based institutions would help communities recognise the dangers associated with financial crimes and prevent legitimate religious and charitable structures from being exploited by criminal or terrorist networks.
GIABA’s approach is also linked to its wider regional strategy for strengthening anti money laundering and counter terrorism financing measures among member states. The organisation conducts assessments of countries’ financial crime frameworks and provides technical support to improve their ability to detect, investigate and prevent illicit financial activities.
The organisation has increasingly focused on public awareness as part of its strategy, recognising that government agencies and financial institutions cannot combat financial crime effectively without cooperation from communities and other non state actors.
In Nigeria, for instance, financial intelligence and anti corruption agencies have raised concerns about emerging methods used to move illicit funds, including the use of digital platforms to facilitate money laundering and terrorism financing.
GIABA’s appeal therefore places religious institutions at the centre of a broader preventive strategy aimed at reducing the opportunities available to criminal networks.
The organisation is expected to continue working with religious leaders, national authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen awareness, improve reporting of suspicious activities and encourage communities to resist criminal activities.
The initiative also reflects growing regional recognition that tackling terrorism requires more than military and security operations, with financial disruption, community engagement and prevention increasingly regarded as critical components of the fight against violent extremism.
Leave a comment