In 2013, the three of them were part of a four man group arrested by Nigerian authorities and accused of working with Hezbollah after they uncovered an armoury in Kano, which they claimed belonged to the organisation. The weapons were allegedly intended to be used in an attack against “Israeli and western interests.
Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Adam J. Szubin vowed that the US will track Hezbollah’s illicit activities to all corners of the earth.“Together with our international partners, we are tirelessly working to dismantle Hezbollah’s financial apparatus. Wherever this terrorist group may seek to raise funds, we will target and expose its activity,” he said.
The Fawaz brothers, who have citizenship in Lebanon, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, own Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park and Resort in Abuja.
The statement announcing U.S. sanctions said the Fawaz brothers are really running a Hezbollah front.“The FRD [Foreign Relations Department of Hezbollah] claims to be in charge of “community relations;” but the primary goal of the FRD in Nigeria is to scout recruits for Hezbollah’s military units, as well as to create and support Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure for its operational units in Africa and globally.”
The US Treasury statement, however, did not mention any link or conflict between the Shiite Hezbollah Branch and the Boko Haram, which is most active in Nigeria’s northern states, Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon.
Hezbollah has operated in at least 45 nations, 11 of which are in Africa. It is also considered to be one of the richest groups on the US terrorist list, with an estimated $500 million in financial assets.
Culled from: Channels TV Online
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