The Nigerian Government said it has established involvement of some high profile individuals, institutions and businessmen involved in financing terrorism in the country, adding that suspected financiers were already being profiled for prosecution.
Penpushing reports that, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) ,Abubakar Malami made this known to journalists at State House in Abuja, adding that findings showed that, the activities of the suspected terrorism financiers were triggered by a recent conviction of some Nigerians in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) for funding Boko Haram.
The Attorney General, disclosed that the federal government embarked on a wider and far-reaching investigations into terrorism financing after the conviction of Boko Haram financiers in United Arab Emirates (UAE), a development which exposed the said high profile sponsors.
“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’, Malami said.
“I mean reasonable grounds for suspicion of terrorism financing have been established, or perhaps has been proven to be in existence in respect of the transactions of certain high-profile individuals and businessmen across the country. The investigations are ongoing but have reached an advanced stage”, he added.
“I’m happy to report that 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. Number of suspects not yet available’, he added
Penpushing further reports that, Malami when questioned to give the number of persons already arrested for the crime, said the actual number could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, until investigations were concluded.
“As to the number, investigation is ongoing and it has to be conclusive before one can arrive at a certain number. But one thing I can tell you is it’s a large number and they are being profiled for prosecution’.It is indeed a large number, and I’m not in a position to give you its precision as at now because the profiling and investigation are ongoing,” he said.
Penpushing also reports that, Malami who doubles as the Minister of Justice warned against involvement in crimes, declaring that anybody caught in the web would not be spared by the government.
“The message is clear: nobody is going to be spared, no stone will be left unturned. We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian State is concerned,” he said.
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