REVEALED: Epstein, Ex-Israeli PM Accused of Profiting from Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria
New findings have linked the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to business activities connected to Nigeria’s long-running Boko Haram crisis.
The report states that both men explored opportunities tied to Nigeria’s security and infrastructure sectors at a time when the country was battling violent attacks from Boko Haram.
This investigation explains that Epstein acted as a middleman in discussions involving Nigerian and foreign business figures.
The talks focused on gaining access to port and shipping projects in Lagos and Badagry. These projects had stalled for years despite earlier negotiations with Nigerian leaders.
One major condition raised during the talks was full control of port operations before any large investment could be made. This demand delayed progress and later drew public scrutiny when Epstein’s involvement became known.
Epstein was said to be in constant communication with Barak. Their exchanges reportedly centered on expanding security cooperation between Israel and Nigeria. After leaving office in 2013, Barak allegedly used these relationships to open doors for Israeli-linked technology and energy ventures.
The report also revealed Epstein’s interest in Nigeria’s financial and digital systems. He reportedly followed developments in biometric identification and electronic payments.
An associate wrote to him, “We should think about the growing emerging role of cards and phones in economic exchange and the future of money,” after reviewing materials linked to Nigeria’s digital ID programs.
In 2015, Barak and his partners invested heavily in a biometric security firm. The technology was originally designed for border control in the Middle East. It was later promoted in Nigeria as a counter-terrorism tool against Boko Haram threats.
The system was introduced to private institutions, including a Nigerian university, as part of efforts to prevent attacks. At the same time, it was marketed to African governments as a population monitoring and security solution.
Analysts cited in the report said the insecurity in Nigeria created space for foreign security firms to expand their influence. They added that conflict conditions were turned into business opportunities under the cover of counter-terrorism cooperation.
The findings also point to international backing for Nigeria’s cyber and security infrastructure in later years. In 2020, the World Bank supported partnerships involving Israeli cyber firms to strengthen Nigeria’s national cybersecurity framework.
However, the developments raise concerns about how foreign interests may benefit financially from instability in Nigeria while presenting their activities as security support.
