A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to immediately begin the prosecution of the arrested sponsors of terrorism and terror suspects.
He blamed the Tuesday terrorists’ attack on Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, where over 600 inmates including Boko Haram terrorists escaped, on the non-implementation of section 28 (1), (2) & (3) of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Act.
Falana explained that the act stipulated how to secure all correctional centres and urged the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to urgently approve funds for the purchase and installation of the necessary security equipment.
He also challenged Malami to disclose where the 400 sponsors of terrorism and the 800 terror suspects who were due to be arraigned in the Federal High Court last year were being detained, Since only 64 terror suspects were detained in Kuje Correctional Centre.
“Before then, the 10 soldiers led by an army captain who ambushed and killed the three police officers who had arrested an alleged kidnap suspect, Bala Hamisu (a.k.a. Wadume) in Jalingo, Taraba State in August 2019 were not arraigned in the Federal High Court even though a charge was filed against them by the police.
“In fact, the case was discontinued against them by the Attorney-General of the Federation in a purported exercise of his powers under section 174 of the Constitution. It has been confirmed that Wadume was one of the terror suspects who escaped from Kuje Correctional Centre last week.”
Falana also queried the motive of the AGF for refusing to grant the fiat to governors of the North East to prosecute terrorism suspects, some of whom, he noted had been detained for over 10 years.
“In view of the foregoing, we are compelled to call on the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), to ensure that the indicted sponsors of terrorism and terror suspects are charged before the Federal High Court.
DailyTrust
