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Countering Threat Finance as a Critical Subset of Irregular Warfare: An Interpretive Case Study of Northern Nigeria

Abstract : Islamist violent extremists (VE) and violent extremist organizations (VEO) require a broad range of material, social, and financial support to organize, train, conduct operations, and sustain their ideologies and terrorist/insurgent endeavors. There are several geographic regions and states in the world that are distinctly conducive to supporting Islamist VEs and VEOs, however only a portion of these have direct strategic significance to U.S. interests and national security. The West African country of Nigeria represents one of these strategic states and concurrently exists as an international and regional VE and VEO resource base and safe haven. Northern Nigeria is particularly significant to Islamist VEO financing due to the socio-political and socioeconomic conditions and widespread corruption and criminality there. This research presents a case study of northern Nigeria's support of VEs and VEOs. The objectives of the research are to explore the dynamic of threat financing that supports Islamist violent extremists and extremist organizations in northern Nigeria, offer insight into existing and potential conditions that are conducive to threat financing, and highlight existing information gaps regarding Nigerian-based VEOs that may serve as accelerators for international foreign terrorist organizations and/or their resource networks. It highlights the need for a U.S. interagency approach to the situation that utilizes irregular warfare methods, direct and indirect interventions, and partner state capacity building. The research concludes with recommendations for the U.S. interagency process, USAFRICOM, and USSOCOM to initiate, operationalize, and sustain long-term counter threat financing efforts with Nigeria.