BY VICTOR IZEKOR
“Complex investigative activities by the Department of State Security (DSS), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have led to the arrest of over 400 persons in Kano, Borno, Abuja, Lagos, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kaduna and Zamfara. As evidence of a significant breakthrough in tracking financiers of terrorists, the report said, “the main person coordinating the funding ring for Boko Haram is in our custody, he and his closest ally in the business.”
“This feat is coming more than a decade after terrorism bared its fangs in Nigeria. It may be coming very-late in the day, but it is a crucial aspect of counter-terrorism strategies that must be taken seriously. Our security operatives must go beyond probing Bureaux de Change (BDCs) as a strategy if their objective is to block the sources of funding for Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers for ransom and even separatists. Organized criminal gangs have various channels through which they access funds in and outside their countries of operations, some of them through legal means and many others through illegal means.”
In his response to the alleged sponsors of Boko Haram, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, is reported to have accused some high profile Nigerians and institutions of financing terrorism in Nigeria.
The Attorney General is reported to have indicted the concerned Nigerians while speaking to the State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa recently in Abuja.
Malami said the government was already profiling for prosecution well placed Nigerians who, according to him, have reasonable ground to be suspected of being financiers of terrorism in the country.
He confirmed that the arrest of the undisclosed number of suspects followed the recent convictions of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to him the ongoing investigations had given reasonable ground to prosecute the high profile persons and institutions across the country.
The AGF hinted: “As you 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 wider and far-reaching investigations in Nigeria.
“And I’m happy to report that arriving 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 have been established, or perhaps have been proven to be in existence in respect of the transactions of certain higher profile individuals and businessmen across the country.
I’m happy to report that the investigation has been ongoing for long and it has reached an advanced stage. Arriving 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,” Malami added.
It would be recalled that the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emeifele, recently stopped the sale of dollars to bureau de change operators in the country on the allegation that they are sponsors of Boko Haram.
The presidential commission on security challenges in the North East headed by Galtimari had in its recommendations among others, indicted some politicians as master minds or instrumental to the products of Boko Haram.
The commission traced the genesis of Boko Haram to private militias that were formed by politicians in the wake up to the 2003 general elections.
According to the commission, “The militias (Boko Haram) were allegedly armed and used extensively as political thugs,” during the polls, the report which the Federal Government accepted and issued a white paper in 2012, said.
“The thugs were abandoned afterwards since they (the politicians) could not continue funding and keeping them employed. With no visible means of sustenance, some of the militias gravitated towards religious extremism, the type offered by Mohammed Yusuf,” the report added.
It therefore, recommended to the Federal Government to “direct the security agencies to beam their searchlight on some politicians who sponsored, funded and financed the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram and bring them to justice.”
In the Daily Sun editorial of December 9, 2020, “Insecurity in Nigeria has assumed a frightening dimension, despite repeated claims by the Federal Government that it has degraded the terrorist group, Boko Haram. It is, therefore, not surprising that Nigeria has emerged the third most terrorized country in the world for the sixth consecutive year. In the 2020 Global terrorism index released recently by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Nigeria only came behind Afghanistan and Iraq which came first and second respectively. According to the index, the number of deaths attributed to Boko Haram increased by 25 per cent between 2018 and 2019.”
Just of recent, both the governors of Plateau and Zamfara States indicted some politicians of being responsible for banditry and kidnapping in their states.
In another development, the chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has expressed reservations over the alleged secret trial of Bureua de Change operators arrested for allegedly funding Boko Haram terrorists. The Senator called on the federal government to reveal the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and try them in public.
Addressing reporters in Abuja recently, Ndume said: “The Presidency said recently that Nigerians would be shocked if it revealed the identities of those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram insurgents. Can you imagine that 400 Bureau De Change operators are the people funding the Boko Haram? When the BDC operators are arrested now, what will the government do with them? The Presidency is already saying their case is confidential. What is confidential about it?
“The Presidency should expose the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and carry out their trial in public. If any of them is innocent, he should be allowed to go, while those found guilty must be made to face the music.
“When I was wrongly accused, I was tried publicly and I was vindicated. The trial lasted six years in an open court. If there is any criminal act linked to anybody, no matter how highly placed, let the evidence be placed before the public, there should be no secret trial.
“Nowadays, criminals are arrested and paraded without further action. Nobody knows what happened to the people who killed 11 soldiers in Benue state recently? What happened to those who beheaded policemen in Cross River State?
“Let it be made unequivocal here and then not to get at the sponsors of this heinous crime against humanity, especially in a situation where the authority or authorities concerned have the capacity and the capability to do so, could be misinterpreted or misunderstood”
“If everyone is doing what he’s supposed to do as defined by our constitution and laws, we would not have these problems. Citizens should expose suspicious movements.”
Let it be made unequivocal here and then not to get at the sponsors of this heinous crime against humanity, especially in a situation where the authority or authorities concerned have the capacity and the capability to do so, could be misinterpreted or misunderstood. There might be the assumption, rightly or wrongly, that there is a tacit approval for the continuity of this atrocity for known reason or reasons by the concerned group, but certainly not in the interest of the nation.
When al-Shaba attacked the Kenyan Mall in Nairobi and the nation’s university, President Friday Uhuru Kenyatta replied instantly, spitting fire. In the speed of a meteor, he ordered the arrest of over 80 people of varied interests, ranging from commerce down to politics, and the accounts of the suspects frozen. Alas, in the investigation that followed, it was discovered, among others, that a student lawyer, the son of a cabinet minister, led the insurgents attack on the university. Ever since the prompt and ruthless measures of President Kenyatta, Kenya has become almost a no-go area for the al-Shaba.
The issue of sponsorship of Boko Haram has been overflogged, debated in various fora, but bereft of action and answer for now. Who wants Nigeria dead?
Let us have the courage and political will to do what is just and right as we all shall give account of our stewardship life hereafter.
Victor Izekor is a journalist and public affairs analyst and writes at victorizekor@gmail.com
