The Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), has strengthened collaboration with the National Technical Risk Assessment Committee on Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) to identify and prevent the diversion of resources to terrorist groups in the North East.
The collaboration is part of efforts to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited to finance terrorism in the region.
The Team Leader of the Committee, Mrs Ibinabo Amachree, disclosed this on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during a visit to the Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation HADIN KAI, in Maiduguri, as part of the ongoing 2026 National Technical Risk Assessment of Non-Profit Organisations in Nigeria.
Amachree said the assessment builds on the findings of the 2022 National Risk Assessment and is being conducted ahead of Nigeria’s next international evaluation on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing.
She explained that the 2022 assessment identified the North East and North West as regions with elevated terrorism-financing risks.
According to her, the vulnerabilities include non-compliance with established operational procedures, movement of large volumes of cash without adequate documentation and security arrangements, as well as the possible exploitation of humanitarian and service-oriented organisations by terrorist groups.
She said the current assessment was adopting a risk-based approach to identify NPOs that could be particularly vulnerable to abuse for terrorism-financing purposes.
Amachree added that relevant agencies had developed measures to strengthen monitoring of identified high-risk organisations, including enhanced due diligence and vetting of personnel and vendors engaged by NPOs operating in vulnerable areas.
Responding, the Theatre Commander, Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, described terrorism financing as a critical enabler of terrorist activities, stressing the need to cut off the financial lifelines sustaining terrorist organisations.
He assured that OPHK would continue to support legitimate humanitarian and non-profit activities while ensuring strict compliance with security and operational procedures within the theatre.
The Theatre Commander, however, identified the movement of cash and humanitarian supplies without adequate documentation, security coordination and escort as a major concern.
He urged NPOs and humanitarian organisations to give adequate advance notice of planned movements to enable the military coordinate security escorts, route protection and, where necessary, air support.
Abubakar also called for proper due diligence and security screening of local vendors and service providers contracted by humanitarian organisations.
He recalled that OPHK recently hosted a Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Roundtable involving humanitarian actors and United Nations agencies, where challenges affecting humanitarian access, movement of personnel and delivery of supplies were discussed.
According to him, measures were subsequently agreed upon to improve coordination and facilitate safer humanitarian operations in the region.
The Theatre Commander assured the Committee of OPHK’s readiness to provide relevant operational information and other necessary support to enrich the 2026 National Technical Risk Assessment, subject to security and operational considerations.
He commended the Committee for the initiative and reaffirmed OPHK’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation to disrupt terrorism financing and deny terrorist groups access to financial and material resources.
Abubakar further urged legitimate NPOs operating in the North East to strictly adhere to established procedures, maintain close coordination with security authorities and promptly report suspicious activities or vulnerabilities that could be exploited by terrorist organisations.
