Attorney-General of Federation, Abubakar Malami, has defended the Federal Government’s decision not to name terror sponsors at the moment, saying this had become imperative in order not to jeopardise investigations.
The AGF said this while addressing journalists in New York, according to a statement by his Spokesman, Umar Gwandu, on Wednesday, ThePunch reports.
In the past few days, the Federal Government has come under fire for failing to name terror sponsors despite the assistance given to Nigeria by the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
The President’s Spokesman, Femi Adesina, had said the government was not interested in naming and shaming suspects but would rather prosecute them.
Reacting to the raging controversy, Malami said the Federal Government of Nigeria had been vigorously and intensively working to leave no stone unturned in the prosecution of Boko Haram financiers and the fight against terrorism in the country.
According to the statement, the position, as it stands, is that investigation has reached an advanced stage and the government would make a statement in that direction in due course.
He expressed;
Time is not ripe for holistic disclosures so as not to pre-empt the investigation process. The prime object remains the attainment of peace and security of our dear nation. As per as terrorism funding and financing is concerned, we have succeeded in identifying those that are allegedly responsible for funding same and we are blocking the leakages associated with funding while embarking on aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in terms of the fight against terrorism.
Malami added;
The truth of the matter is that investigation is ongoing and advancing. For the purpose of investigation, I would not like to be pre-emptive in terms of making disclosures that will have effect of undermining the successes we are recording.
The AGF expressed that whatever the government does in terms of detention and arrest is indeed backed up by judicial processes.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic and the two-month strike embarked on by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria earlier in the year affected the proposed prosecution of Boko Haram sponsors.
Malami stated that the Federal Government through the Complex Case Group of the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice reviewed over 1,000 Boko Haram case files out of which 285 have been filed before the Federal High Court based on prima facie cases of terrorism against them.
