The Oyo State Government has raised the alarm over the alleged exploitation of non-governmental organisations, crowdfunding platforms and humanitarian interventions by criminal networks seeking to raise and move illicit funds.
Acting Governor Bayo Lawal issued the warning on Tuesday while reaffirming the state’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with security agencies and other stakeholders to protect lives and property.
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Lawal, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde, spoke at a capacity-building workshop on awareness, intelligence gathering and institutional responses to emerging threats linked to illicit financial flows in Ibadan.
The workshop, held at the Western Hall of the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, brought together government officials and other stakeholders to examine ways of identifying and disrupting suspicious financial activities.
The Acting Governor said Oyo had intensified its collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to prevent humanitarian funding mechanisms and other financial channels from being exploited for terrorism financing and other criminal purposes.
Lawal said the changing security situation in the South-West, particularly the persistence of kidnapping incidents, required authorities to look beyond conventional security responses and pay closer attention to the financial networks supporting criminal operations.
“Criminal networks are increasingly deploying sophisticated methods to raise and move funds, including misuse of crowdfunding platforms, humanitarian interventions, NGOs, and informal financial systems,” he said.
The warning does not suggest that NGOs or humanitarian organisations are inherently linked to criminal activity.
Rather, the state government is calling for stronger safeguards around legitimate funding channels to reduce the risk of abuse.
Lawal stressed that humanitarian assistance remains essential, particularly for vulnerable communities, but argued that stronger regulatory systems, proper documentation and effective monitoring were necessary to prevent criminal elements from hijacking such platforms.
“While humanitarian assistance remains critical to supporting vulnerable communities, there is a need for improved regulatory frameworks, proper documentation, and effective monitoring,” he said.
The issue is part of a wider national concern over illicit financial flows, which include financial activities designed to conceal, transfer or use funds outside legitimate channels.
Nigeria has increasingly focused on improving financial intelligence and inter-agency cooperation to identify such activities.
January, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Federal Government held a capacity-building workshop involving institutions including the EFCC, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Nigeria Customs Service, Central Bank of Nigeria and other agencies.
The training focused particularly on detecting revenue losses and trade-related illicit financial flows.
Financial crime experts have also warned that Nigeria’s challenge is not necessarily a lack of laws but gaps in enforcement, institutional capacity and coordination.
A former EFCC director, Aliyu Mohammed Yusuf, made a similar observation in July, arguing that weak enforcement, insufficient capacity and poor coordination between relevant agencies continued to undermine efforts against illicit financial flows.
Against that background, the Oyo Government wants state institutions to become more proactive in identifying suspicious transactions before they develop into wider security threats.
Lawal urged participants from ministries, departments and agencies to deepen their understanding of terrorism financing trends and develop mechanisms for early detection and prevention.
He also called for dedicated desks within government agencies to facilitate intelligence sharing, monitor suspicious financial activities and ensure quicker responses to emerging threats.
Such structures, the government believes, could improve the flow of information between agencies and help authorities identify financial patterns that may otherwise remain hidden within conventional security investigations.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for experts and stakeholders to exchange ideas on countering terrorism financing, strengthening institutional capacity and protecting legitimate humanitarian activities from abuse.
The concern comes as security challenges continue to put pressure on communities across parts of the South-West. Oyo and neighbouring states have faced recurring concerns over kidnapping and other forms of organised criminal activity, increasing attention on the financial networks that enable such operations.
For Oyo, the message is that the fight against insecurity cannot be restricted to arrests and physical security operations.
Tracking how criminal groups obtain, transfer and conceal money is increasingly becoming an important part of disrupting their operations.
The state government therefore wants financial intelligence to become a more integrated component of its security strategy, while ensuring that legitimate charities, NGOs and humanitarian initiatives are not unnecessarily hindered.
Lawal said stronger coordination between government institutions and security agencies would be crucial to disrupting criminal networks.
The workshop was attended by Commissioner for Energy Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, Commissioner for Investment, Industry, Trade and Cooperatives Professor Solihu Adelabu, Commissioner for Works and Transport Architect Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, as well as permanent secretaries, directors and other senior government officials.
As Oyo strengthens its security partnerships, the government faces the delicate task of closing financial loopholes without undermining legitimate humanitarian work.
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For the state’s security planners, however, the emerging message is clear: following the money may be just as important as following the criminals.
Morenikeji Adedayo is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
