Jihadists make millions from "taxes" collected from fishermen and farmers

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) jihadists who plague Nigeria and neighboring countries earn about $200 million a year, mainly through informal levies on fishermen and farmers living in the Lake Chad region, where there is no government administration, estimates the independent news agency The New Humanitarian (TNH).

The Lake Chad area controlled by ISWAP currently encompasses Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, and parts of northern Nigeria. Seeking to expand into the northeastern and central states of Nigeria and establish a caliphate in West Africa, the terrorists need money to pay soldiers and purchase weapons, ammunition, materials for improvised explosive devices, and vehicles.

The basis for financing their activities are "taxes" illegally imposed on the population, but the bandits' budget also receives profits from kidnappings and rewards paid by the headquarters of the Islamic State (ISIS) for equipment seized from the Nigerian army and other spoils of war.

The New Humanitarian estimates ISWAP's revenue from illegal levies on fishermen, livestock farmers and farmers working in the area it controls at more than $191 million annually.

ISWAP uses three categories of "taxes." It collects a levy from cattle farmers ranging from 3.3 percent to 1 percent, depending on herd size. This raises approximately $3.7 million annually.

Separate fees are charged to non-residents who temporarily enter ISWAP-controlled territories. These are primarily fishermen and fish merchants. They must pay $13 for entry alone, and before leaving the area with their catch, they are charged a fishing tax of approximately $2.60 per 100-kilogram carton of fish. In addition, they are subject to a business tax. This is ISWAP's largest source of income, generating approximately $183 million annually.

A separate tribute is paid by all villagers, including ISWAP members. According to TNH, this generates approximately $5 million in annual revenue for the jihadists.

ISWAP adheres to an extreme Salafi interpretation of Islam, which views all who do not adhere to it as apostates and infidels. Consequently, ISWAP targets non-Muslims, primarily Christians, often using violence and executions, which have led to numerous deaths over the past decade. ISWAP rejects state borders and opposes elected governments, seeking their violent abolition and the establishment of a religious state.

Tadeusz Brzozowski (PAP)

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