The Director of the National Counter Terrorism Fusion Centre, Major General Dr Timothy Tifucro Ba-Taa-Banah, has described terrorist financing as the lifeblood of violent extremist groups, warning that organised crime networks are increasingly using sophisticated cyber tools to channel funds to terrorists.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the launch of the National Community Media Cyber Capability Building Project (NCMCCBP) at the National Communications Authority (NCA) Tower in Accra, he said cutting off the financial resources available to terrorist groups would significantly weaken their operations.
“If we are able to take away from them the oxygen from their system, terrorism will collapse. And what is the oxygen? The oxygen is money,” he said.
Major General Ba-Taa-Banah explained that there is a growing nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism, with proceeds from criminal activities often ending up in the hands of extremist organisations.
“Remember, there is a symbiotic relationship between transnational organised crime and terrorism. So much of the funding that goes into organised crime will end up in the hands of terrorists,” he stated.
He noted that terrorist groups require substantial financial resources to procure weapons and equipment, sustain their operations and recruit new members, adding that they have adopted increasingly sophisticated cyber-enabled methods to raise and transfer funds.
“They have developed sophisticated ways of getting funding to them,” he said.
The Counter Terrorism Fusion Centre Director further cautioned that the threat of terrorism extends beyond physical attacks, stressing that extremist groups also seek to influence the beliefs and attitudes of citizens.
“It goes beyond the physical nature of the individual. In fact, they work on the psyche of our citizens,” he said.
He observed that Ghana’s youthful and digitally connected population has become a major target for extremist recruitment and radicalisation, noting that more than 40 per cent of the country’s population falls within the youth demographic.
Major General Ba-Taa-Banah called for a coordinated national response involving security agencies, government institutions, the media and the public to effectively address the evolving threat.
“We need everybody’s effort to be able to scale,” he said, while commending the Africa Centre for Digital Transformation (ACDT), the Cyber Security Authority and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation for spearheading the National Community Media Cyber Capability Building Project.
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