“Where are the 400 Bureau-De Change terror financiers?’ – HURIWA queries Malami

Civil rights advocacy group, Hu­man Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Thurs­day, queried the Attorney-Gener­al of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) over the secrecy and mystery surrounding the 400 Bureau-De-Change operators arrested for terrorism financing about two years ago.

HURIWA’s National Coordina­tor, Comrade Emmanuel Onwu­biko, in a statement also kicked against the release of 131 terror­ists awaiting trial, saying that the President Buhari administration continues to display hypocrisy in Nigeria’s terror war.

The group said until justice is done to arrest Boko Haram, ISWAP and Ansaru terrorists, jail breaks and deadly attacks may continue, as insurgents will naturally feel emboldened.

Recall that last Thursday, Malami said the Federal Government has prosecuted 1,500 terrorism cases and secured 397 convictions from May 2015 till date.

He also confirmed the recent release of 30 Awaiting Trial Per­sons (ATPs) from the Keffi Correc­tional Centre, as well as the release of 101 suspected terrorists from the Kirikiri Maximum Correc­tional Centre “who have spent over 10 years in custody without trial before the Federal High Court in Lagos”.

However, HURIWA’s Onwu­biko said, “397 convictions of terrorists is not equal to 400 ter­ror sponsors, whose arrests were nationally announced by the AGF office and the Presidency in 2021. Where are these Bureau de Change operators? Who are they? In what courts were the so-called 397 convictions made? This mystery secrecy is baffling, and a pointer to complicity by the Federal Gov­ernment.

“Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu is being tried publicly, but nobody knows the identity and the courts that tried the so-called terrorists where what many in Nigeria may consider a bogus and fallacious 397 convictions were made. 

The group further said, “The Government should disclose every detail of those convicted, includ­ing the prisons they are in, for ver­ification by all Nigerians; or for reasons of concealing their places of detention due to fear that their colleagues at large may stage attacks to free them, let the government publi­cise their identities and photos”.