Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has written to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of 10 soldiers accused of killing three police officers in Taraba State, as well as 400 alleged financiers of terrorism whose cases were allegedly abandoned under the last administration.

Falana, in a petition, accused the former AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, of deliberately shielding the suspects from prosecution despite what he described as ‘overwhelming evidence.’

Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

The rights lawyer said: “The withdrawal of terrorism charges against the soldiers and the failure to prosecute hundreds of terror financiers amount to a grave abuse of prosecutorial powers and a betrayal of public trust.”

He recalled that in August 2019, 10 soldiers led by an Army Captain ambushed and killed three police officers in Jalingo, Taraba State, after the officers had arrested a notorious kidnap suspect, Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume.

Falana said: “The cold-blooded murder of the police officers was intended to cover up the deep involvement of the soldiers in kidnapping operations and the collection of billions of naira in ransom from innocent citizens across Taraba State.”

He noted that although the soldiers were arrested and charged with terrorism offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the case was abruptly terminated after Malami entered a nolle prosequi.

Describing the move as unconstitutional, Falana said: “Section 174(3) of the 1999 Constitution clearly provides that the Attorney-General shall exercise his powers in the public interest and in the interest of justice. The discontinuance of this case was neither.”

He also expressed worry over what he described as a wider and more dangerous cover-up involving terrorism financiers.

He recalled that in November 2020, six Nigerians were convicted in the United Arab Emirates for financing Boko Haram, with two sentenced to life imprisonment and four others jailed for 10 years after transferring about $782,000 to the terrorist group.

He said: “While foreign courts were convicting Nigerian terror sponsors, our own authorities failed to bring even a single financier to justice.”

Falana said the UAE convictions prompted Nigerian security agencies, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, and the Department of State Services, DSS, to investigate and arrest hundreds of suspects.

He cited Malami’s public announcement in May 2021 that 400 terrorism financiers had been arrested and would be prosecuted after the judicial workers’ strike.

He said: “Regrettably, even after the strike was suspended, no charges were filed. The suspects were effectively shielded and repeated assurances that trials would commence ‘in a couple of weeks’ turned out to be empty promises.

“The case files of the 400 suspected financiers are reportedly still lying in the Office of the Attorney-General, while many of the suspects have regained their freedom. Nigeria cannot win the war against terrorism while protecting those who finance and execute it. The era of impunity must end.” (Vanguard, but headline rejigged)