Falana SAN Asks AGF, Malami To Disclose Charges Filed Against 400 Suspected Funders Of Boko Haram, Bandits

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has written to the
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami (SAN), requesting for information on the
prosecution of over 400 suspects arrested for funding Boko Haram,
bandits.

It had been reported in April that dozens of persons were
arrested by security agencies during a nationwide crackdown on the
suspected financiers and collaborations.

They were reportedly arrested in an operation being coordinated
by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), and in collaboration with
the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN).

The operation was said to have been approved by President
Muhammadu Buhari in 2020.

Some of those arrested include Baba Usaini, Abubakar Yellow
(Amfani), Yusuf Ali Yusuf (Babangida), Ibrahim Shani, Auwal Fagge,
and Muhammad Lawan Sani, a gold dealer.

They were reportedly being kept in military and DSS facilities
in Abuja and other places.

Confirming the report a few days after, Malami said the Nigerian
government embarked on “a wider and far-reaching investigations”
into terrorism financing after the conviction of Boko Haram
financiers in the United Arab Emirates.

In a letter titled ‘REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON PERSECUTION OF
ARRESTED 400 SPONSORS OF TERRORISM IN NIGERIA’, Falana commended
the move by the Nigerian government to prosecute the suspects.

The lawyer however raised some concerns about their prosecution
and asked Malami to respond within seven days, pursuant to the
Freedom of Information Act.

The letter dated August 3 read, “On May 04, it was widely
reported in the print and electronic media that the Federal
Government had concluded arrangements to prosecute about 400
alleged sponsors and financiers of terrorism in Nigeria. In the
said publication, your office assured the nation that the suspects
would be arraigned after the industrial action recently embarked
upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

In view of the terrorist attacks being unleashed on law abiding
citizens by the groups of insurgents in several parts of the
country, we strongly commend the move by the Federal Government to
prosecute the suspects who were reported to have been arrested in a
nationwide operation a few months ago.

“We, however, request that our law firm be furnished with
information with respect to when criminal charges were filed
against the suspects since the strike by JUSUN has been called off.
Kindly ensure that we are furnished with the requested information
within 7 days of the receipt of this letter in accordance with the
provisions of Freedom of Information Act.”

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has written to the
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami (SAN), requesting for information on the
prosecution of over 400 suspects arrested for funding Boko Haram,
bandits.

It had been reported in April that dozens of persons were
arrested by security agencies during a nationwide crackdown on the
suspected financiers and collaborations.

They were reportedly arrested in an operation being coordinated
by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), and in collaboration with
the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN).

The operation was said to have been approved by President
Muhammadu Buhari in 2020.

Some of those arrested include Baba Usaini, Abubakar Yellow
(Amfani), Yusuf Ali Yusuf (Babangida), Ibrahim Shani, Auwal Fagge,
and Muhammad Lawan Sani, a gold dealer.

They were reportedly being kept in military and DSS facilities
in Abuja and other places.

Confirming the report a few days after, Malami said the Nigerian
government embarked on “a wider and far-reaching investigations”
into terrorism financing after the conviction of Boko Haram
financiers in the United Arab Emirates.

In a letter titled ‘REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON PERSECUTION OF
ARRESTED 400 SPONSORS OF TERRORISM IN NIGERIA’, Falana commended
the move by the Nigerian government to prosecute the suspects.

The lawyer however raised some concerns about their prosecution
and asked Malami to respond within seven days, pursuant to the
Freedom of Information Act.

The letter dated August 3 read, “On May 04, it was widely
reported in the print and electronic media that the Federal
Government had concluded arrangements to prosecute about 400
alleged sponsors and financiers of terrorism in Nigeria. In the
said publication, your office assured the nation that the suspects
would be arraigned after the industrial action recently embarked
upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

In view of the terrorist attacks being unleashed on law abiding
citizens by the groups of insurgents in several parts of the
country, we strongly commend the move by the Federal Government to
prosecute the suspects who were reported to have been arrested in a
nationwide operation a few months ago.

“We, however, request that our law firm be furnished with
information with respect to when criminal charges were filed
against the suspects since the strike by JUSUN has been called off.
Kindly ensure that we are furnished with the requested information
within 7 days of the receipt of this letter in accordance with the
provisions of Freedom of Information Act.”