Tuesday September 16, 2025
FILE - Judges of the Banadir Regional Court preside over a session in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Mogadishu (HOL) — A court in Mogadishu has sentenced a Somali woman to 15 years in prison after finding her guilty of laundering more than $1.2 million to finance operations for al-Shabab.The Banadir Regional Court found Nadiifo Hassan Abdiqadir Abdulle guilty of channelling $1,237,010 through her personal bank accounts. Prosecutors said the money was used to bankroll militant activities, conceal illicit transfers, and facilitate al-Shabab’s operations.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a $20,000 fine, ordered the closure of Abdulle’s accounts, and directed that all funds and assets be confiscated and transferred to the state.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Attorney General said the office “reaffirms its commitment to combating terrorism financing and money laundering.” The warning was blunt: “Anyone engaged in these dangerous activities will face justice.”
Al-Shabab, which is aligned with al-Qaida, has sustained its insurgency by building what Somali officials and the United Nations have described as a “parallel system of taxation.” According to the Somali Central Bank, the group routinely extorts businesses, transport companies, and communities, raising millions of dollars annually.
The UN Panel of Experts on Somalia reported in late 2024 that al-Shabab’s revenue is diversified across extortion, smuggling, and illicit financial transfers, with annual earnings estimated at over $100 million.
Authorities said the conviction highlights Somalia’s determination to clamp down on illicit financing networks that sustain al-Shabab, which has waged a deadly insurgency for more than 15 years.
In August, the Attorney General’s Office announced the freezing of nearly $1 million in suspected terror-linked funds after reviewing more than 3,500 bank accounts. The Central Bank has also ordered local banks to block accounts tied to individuals sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, aligning with international efforts to disrupt al-Shabab’s financing.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency has repeatedly warned that anyone caught financing the group will face prosecution. Officials say the creation of the Financial Reporting Center under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act has strengthened institutional oversight of Somalia’s fragile banking system.