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The Banadir Regional Court has sentenced a woman identified as Maryan Mohamed Nur to six years in prison after she was found guilty of financing terrorism, laundering money, and helping channel large sums of cash to the Al-Shabaab insurgency. The ruling, delivered this week in Mogadishu, follows months of investigations by the Office of the Attorney General, which accused Maryan of running a network of bank accounts and mobile numbers used to move more than two million dollars for criminal activities.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Maryan managed five different bank accounts and five phone numbers that received and transferred a combined total of $2,170,889. Investigators said the money was not part of any legitimate business operation. Instead, they concluded that the funds were deliberately directed toward groups and individuals linked to Al-Shabaab, a militant organization responsible for repeated attacks, bombings, and instability across Somalia.
The prosecution argued that Maryan’s financial operations played a direct role in supporting violence in the country. They said the funds she handled were used to coordinate terrorist missions, plan and execute bombings, and acquire materials needed by the insurgent group. Investigators also linked the transactions to efforts to fuel clan tensions, an approach Al-Shabaab has historically used to weaken communities and expand its influence. Authorities described these actions as extremely harmful to national stability and public safety, stressing that financial facilitators are just as dangerous as those carrying out attacks on the ground.
During the court hearings, prosecutors presented records showing the flow of money across Maryan’s accounts, as well as communication data from the mobile numbers registered in her name. They stated that the pattern of transactions, the secrecy surrounding the accounts, and the absence of legal business activities all pointed to deliberate involvement in illicit financial operations. The court agreed with the findings, ruling that Maryan played an active role in enabling Al-Shabaab’s violence by keeping its financial channels alive.
Following the guilty verdict, the court issued a comprehensive punishment reflecting the seriousness of the charges. Alongside the six-year prison sentence, Maryan was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine. The court also confiscated eight plots of land linked to her and ordered that all her bank accounts be closed and their contents transferred to the government. Any assets registered in her name will now be seized and become state property.
The Attorney General’s Office said the case is a clear warning to anyone involved in hiding or moving money for terrorist groups, emphasizing that Somalia’s security institutions are strengthening their ability to track suspicious financial networks. Officials noted that Al-Shabaab relies heavily on money laundering and informal financial systems to sustain its operations, making financial crackdowns a key part of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy.
Authorities described the case as one of the largest individual financial investigations in recent years and said it demonstrates the government’s determination to weaken the economic foundations of extremist groups. By targeting financiers, investigators believe they can limit the ability of militants to purchase weapons, organize attacks, and exploit vulnerable communities.
The Attorney General’s Office reaffirmed that Somalia remains committed to protecting the public from those who use financial systems to harm the country. It urged the public, financial institutions, and mobile operators to remain vigilant and report any suspicious transactions that may support terrorism or other criminal activities. Officials said that improving cooperation between the government and the public is essential to weakening the criminal networks that threaten peace and stability.