Chisaa Okoye
The Federal Government of Nigeria has begun profiling for prosecution of highly placed individuals, businessmen and institutions in Nigeria financing the Boko Haram terrorists.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who disclosed this at a media parley in Abuja, said some of the suspects were arrested after the recent convictions of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Malami said that reasonable evidence of the involvement of some highly placed individuals, businessmen and institutions across the country in financing the Boko Haram terrorists was established in the course of investigations and they were found to be culpable
He said: “As you will actually know, sometimes back there were certain convictions of Nigerians allegedly involved in terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” he said in reaction to the extent of prosecution.
“That gave rise to wider and far-reaching investigations in Nigeria and I’m happy to report that arising from the wider coverage investigation that has been conducted in Nigeria, a number of people, both institutional and otherwise, were found to be culpable.
“I mean a reasonable ground for suspicion of terrorism financing has been established or perhaps has been proven to be in existence in respect of the transactions of certain higher-profile individuals and businessmen across the country.”
The minister however declined to reveal names of the terrorist financiers, insisting that investigation has been ongoing for a long and it has reached an advanced stage.
He added: “From the investigation, there exists, certainly, reasonable grounds for suspicion that a lot of Nigerians, high-profile, institutional and otherwise, are involved in terrorism financing and they are being profiled for prosecution.
“In essence, it is indeed true that the government is prosecuting and it’s indeed initiating processes of prosecuting those high-profile individuals that are found to be financing terrorism. It is indeed true.”
“The message is clear: nobody is going to be spared, no stone will be left unturned. We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian state is concerned.”