https://guardian.ng/news/anxiety-over-fgs-delay-in-unmasking-terrorism-financiers/
The Guardian
Nigerians are beginning to exhaust their patience over the Federal Government’s failure to expose those financing the activities of the Boko Haram sect.
With the increasing wave of extreme violence across the country, particularly those perpetrated by insurgents, Nigerians applauded the government when it disclosed that some high profile individuals were responsible for the sustained attacks by Boko Haram, and that they were going to be prosecuted without waste of time.
However, three months after the public statement by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), nothing has been heard of it.
The absolute calm from the government over such a serious matter is no doubt unsettling Nigerians, who feel that unraveling and punishing anyone or people behind the lingering destruction of lives and property in the country ought to have been given desired accelerated attention.
Malami had on May 4 told journalists at the Presidential Villa that the Federal Government had begun profiling well-placed Nigerians suspected of financing terrorism in the country for prosecution.
In fact, the AGF disclosed that arrests had already been made and that the suspects would be charged immediately the industrial action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) was suspended.
According to Malami, the arrest of the suspects “followed recent convictions of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).”
By informing the public that “investigations conducted have established reasonable evidence of the involvement of the highly placed individuals, businessmen and institutions across the country in financing the Boko Haram terrorists”, expectations were high that for the first time, those behind the nation’s woes would be exposed and punished appropriately.
The AGF stated then that, “investigation has been ongoing and it has reached advanced stage. Government is initiating processes of prosecuting.”
Although he could not state exactly how many the suspects were, since according to him, investigation was ongoing, he maintained, “the number was very large.”
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).
“That gave rise to a wider and far-reaching investigation in Nigeria and I am 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 on reasonable grounds for suspicion of terrorism financing.
“In essence, it is indeed true that the government is prosecuting and it is indeed initiating processes of prosecuting those high profile individuals that are found to be financing terrorism. It is indeed true.”
The AGF also sounded a note of warning that government would not hesitate to invoke the full wrath of the law on anyone found culpable in sponsoring terrorism in the country.
“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.”
Unfortunately, three months after, not much has been heard or done about that weighty allegation. The level of levity with which the government appears to be handling the issue tends to validate the position of skeptics that the threat would amount to nothing since “prominent” Nigerians were allegedly involved.
The seeming cold feet by the…
