Newly surfaced documents have raised claims that late American financier Jeffrey Epstein collaborated with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in activities allegedly linked to Nigeria’s Boko Haram insurgency, treating the country’s worsening insecurity as a commercial opportunity rather than a humanitarian crisis.
The documents, drawn from official email releases, suggest Epstein played a behind-the-scenes role in connecting senior Nigerian and international business figures during discussions framed around security and counterterrorism. These exchanges reportedly involved Nigeria’s sovereign investment leadership and executives linked to major global logistics and infrastructure companies.
At the centre of the claims is Barak’s financial involvement in Israeli technology firms with intelligence backgrounds. In 2015, Barak and a business partner invested millions of dollars in a biometric technology company whose surveillance systems were originally developed for border control and population monitoring.
As attacks by Boko Haram intensified, similar biometric systems were reportedly introduced into Nigeria under the banner of counterterrorism. One such deployment allegedly occurred at a private university, with promotional materials at the time describing the technology as a tool to identify and exclude security threats.
The documents suggest that these security-related contracts helped open the door for wider foreign influence in Nigeria’s cyber and surveillance infrastructure. By 2020, international development partners were reportedly engaging Israeli-linked cyber experts in shaping aspects of Nigeria’s national digital security framework.
Further claims indicate that security cooperation may also have been used as a pathway into Nigeria’s oil, maritime, and port sectors. Epstein is alleged to have facilitated discussions aimed at securing strategic port assets in Lagos and Badagry, while also attempting to navigate international sanctions concerns affecting commercial negotiations.
Earlier incidents referenced in the documents include a controversial intelligence contract awarded in 2013 to a foreign military technology firm to develop online surveillance capabilities in Nigeria, a deal that sparked backlash from lawmakers and was eventually suspended. Around the same period, momentum reportedly grew in the National Assembly for the passage of a comprehensive cybercrime and surveillance law.
The revelations are part of a broader global disclosure of Epstein’s links with political leaders, financiers, and individuals connected to intelligence communities worldwide. Records indicate that Epstein supported various international organisations and maintained long-standing relationships with influential figures.
Barak, who served as Israel’s prime minister between 1999 and 2001, has previously acknowledged his association with Epstein and expressed regret over it. Despite Epstein’s earlier criminal conviction, the relationship reportedly continued for several years, with Barak later stating he was unaware of the full extent of Epstein’s actions until much later.
The claims have renewed debate about Nigeria’s security partnerships, foreign involvement in its cyber infrastructure, and whether counterinsurgency efforts were driven by genuine security concerns or broader commercial interests.
