New Telegraph

Alleged terrorism financing: OAGF fails to arraign 400 suspects 11 months after

‘Suspects not in DSS custody’
‘Protests over detention may threaten national security’

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF) has failed to arraign the four hundred (400) Bureau De Change Operators arrested in April, 2021, in connection with alleged terrorism financing, investigation by Saturday Telegraph has shown. Our correspondent reports that the suspects were arrested during a joint operation conducted by law enforcement agencies across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Kano, Adamawa and Sokoto.

Checks by this newspaper indicated that the OAGF has yet to bring the suspects before a court of competent jurisdiction for arraignment and commencement of prosecution. The development triggered protests on the streets of the ancient city of Kano, by family members of the suspects, last Wednesday. Among others, the protesters called for unconditional release of their breadwinners, owing to the delay in their arraignment about a year after. Indications emerged that, contrary to what the protesters are wont to believe, none of the suspects is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Highly-placed security and law enforcement agencies, who spoke with this newspaper on the condition of anonymity, insisted that the operation that culminated in the apprehension of the BDC operators, was undertaken jointly by elements of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Nigerian Financial Intelligent hence Unit (NFIU), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) among others.

“Let me tell you this: “In matters of this nature, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice acts for and on behalf of the Federal Government. “The occupier of the office is, by law, empowered to file and commence criminal charges against the suspects, before a Federal High Court. “On the delay that has followed the arrest of the suspects, it may be as a result of administrative bottlenecks”, one of the sources said. Another dependable source, who spoke in similar vein, said: “If the protesters understood the way the SSS operates, they would understand that the intelligence agency does not arrest without a valid warrant obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Apart from that, the Service also secures a detention warrant, where the need to hold a suspect beyond the forty eight hours allowed by law, arises”. Meanwhile, findings showed that the protests by dependents of those detained may spread, unless urgent steps were taken by authorities to arraign those profiled and indicted, while those without a prima faciecase, are released. “The protest that held in Kano on Wednesday, may just be one in a series of others planned across some strategic states in the North. “The way out, therefore, is to quickly charge those, who have been found wanting, in the course of investigation, while releasing those found to be innocent. “Definitely, the protests will have consequential negative effect on national security and public safety”, another source hinted.

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