Fawaz Brothers: Cleared of Terrorism in Nigeria, Indicted by US

Fawaz Brothers: Cleared of Terrorism in Nigeria, Indicted by US

The United States Department of the Treasury has designated two Lebanese
based in Nigeria, Mustapha Fawaz and Fouzi Fawaz as members of the Hizballah
network in Africa.
The brothers are owners of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park,
both based in Abuja. They were tried on terrorism-related charges in Nigeria in
2013 but were later discharged by a judge for lack of sufficient evidence. Their
two popular businesses were shut down for a while, but they reopened after the
trial.
However, a report published recently on the website of the Treasury Department
noted that the brothers, along with Abdallah Tahini, were acting on behalf of
Hezbollah, which the US identifies as a terrorist organization. The indictment
order also cover their three businesses, two of which are based in Abuja.
“Mustapha Fawaz has been a significant donor to Hizballah and is also a member
of Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO),” the report said. “Since the 1990s,
Mustapha Fawaz has been involved in activities related to communications,
surveillance, and reporting for Hizballah. He communicated with Hizballah in
Lebanon by e-mail and reportedly received updates and newsletters regarding
Hizballah activities and distributed this information to other Hizballah supporters in
Abuja. He used special surveillance cameras based at Amigo Supermarket to
monitor the movements of expatriates, especially Israelis. He also provided
Hizballah with a report of his visit to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria.”
About Fouzi Fawaz, the report said, “individuals who were arrested in Nigeria for
their involvement with Hizballah claimed Fouzi Fawaz was in possession of heavy
weapons and involved in other terrorism-related activities. Fouzi Fawaz was a
Hizballah Foreign Relations Department (FRD) official in Abuja, Nigeria. The FRD
claims to be in charge of “community relations;” but the primary goal of the FRD
in Nigeria is to scout recruits for Hizballah’s military units, as well as to create
and support Hizballah’s terrorist infrastructure for its operational units in Africa
and globally. In 2008 Fouzi Fawaz coordinated travel for a Hizballah associate.
In 2007, he coordinated travel arrangements and itineraries with other Hizballah
Foreign Relations officials in Lagos and Kano, Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, Abdallah Tahini, it said, is a Hezbollah veteran and long-term
fundraiser of the organization.
“Tahini underwent Hizballah military training in Lebanon in his youth, and he is
now a permanent representative of Hizballah’s FRD in Abuja, Nigeria. Tahini has
also served as the Hizballah representative from Kano, Nigeria to Hizballah
Martyrs Foundation annual conference,” the report said.
It would be recalled that in May 2013, Mustapha Fawaz, with his allies, Abdallah
Tahini and Tahal Roda were arrested following the discovery of a cache of arms
in a bunker at their residence in Kano State.