*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: Abubakar Malami, Minister for Justice

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

Following wider and far-reaching investigations, the Federal Government says it has started profiling well-placed Nigerians suspected of being financiers of terrorism, towards their prosecution in the country.

Mr. Abubakar Malami, Honourable Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), disclosed this at a media briefing Friday, May 7, 2021, in Abuja, FCT.

Malami said the arrest of the suspects followed the recent convictions of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

ISWAP-Boko Haram terrorists

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, said the Minister.

As regards the extent of prosecution of the suspected terrorism financiers, Malami stated: 鈥淎s you will actually know, sometimes back there were certain convictions of Nigerians allegedly involved in terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).鈥�

鈥淭hat gave rise to wider and far-reaching investigations in Nigeria and I鈥檓 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.

He further noted: 鈥淚 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.鈥�

Though the Minister declined to disclose neither the names of the alleged terrorist financiers nor the number of those found culpable, he revealed that a large number of persons were involved.

According to Malami, he is not at liberty to disclose further, as investigations (which have reached an advanced stage) and profiling continues.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy to report that investigation has been ongoing for a long and it has reached an advanced stage.

鈥淎rising 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,鈥� stated he.

The Minister added: 鈥淚n essence, it is indeed true that the government is prosecuting and it鈥檚 indeed initiating processes of prosecuting those high-profile individuals that are found to be financing terrorism. It is, indeed, true.

鈥淭he 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,鈥�

Incidentally, Nigeria has been grappling with series of security challenges, ranging from Boko Haram terrorism in the North-East to banditry in the North-West, kidnapping for ransom in several parts of the country, ritual, agitations for secession among several others over the last decade.

Over 36,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, especially in the North-East.

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