OYO WARNS AGAINST MISUSE OF NGOS, CROWDFUNDING

The Oyo State Government has raised concerns over the alleged misuse of non-governmental organisations, crowdfunding platforms and other financial channels to support criminal activities.

Acting Governor Bayo Lawal raised the concern at a capacity-building workshop on illicit financial flows, where he stressed the need for stronger cooperation among government agencies and security stakeholders.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, Lawal said criminal networks were increasingly adopting sophisticated methods to raise and move funds.

He identified crowdfunding platforms, humanitarian interventions, NGOs and informal financial systems as channels that could be exploited for unlawful purposes if they were not properly monitored.

The acting governor said the government had strengthened its partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to prevent the abuse of legitimate funding platforms.

He noted that recent security challenges in parts of the South-West, including kidnapping incidents, made it necessary for authorities to pay closer attention to emerging threats.

Lawal called for improved documentation, stronger regulatory measures and better monitoring of financial activities without disrupting legitimate humanitarian assistance.

He also urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies to improve their understanding of terrorism financing trends and establish dedicated desks for intelligence sharing and monitoring suspicious transactions.

The government said stronger coordination among relevant agencies would help detect emerging threats early and disrupt criminal networks while protecting legitimate humanitarian organisations and their beneficiaries.