TheCable

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has questioned the refusal of the federal government to try the sponsors of terrorism and terror suspects. 

In a statement issued on Sunday, in reaction to the recent attack on the Kuje correctional facility, Falana asked Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation, to charge sponsors of terrorism and terror suspects to court, adding that “the national assembly should monitor the prosecution”.

“We are compelled to call on the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to ensure that the indicted sponsors of terrorism and terror suspects are charged before the federal high court,” the statement reads.

“Since only 64 terror suspects are detained in Kuje correctional centre, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), should disclose to Nigerians where the 400 sponsors of terrorism and the 800 terror suspects who were due to be arraigned in the federal high court last year are being detained.

“We also call on the members of the national assembly who have been appropriating funds for the prosecution of terror suspects to monitor the prosecution of the indicted terror suspects.”

Speaking on the number of terrorist detainees, Falana said it is common knowledge that, “majority of the detainees have been detained for over 10 years”.

“Since terrorism is said to be a federal offence the governors of the north-east region have requested for the fiat of the attorney-general of the federation to have the suspects tried by the respective state ministries of justice,” he said.

“But for some inexplicable reasons, Malami (SAN) turned down the request. Hence, the suspects have been abandoned in prolonged detention.”

In addition, Falana emphasised that to effectively secure all correctional centres in the country, the federal government must comply with section 28 subsections 1, 2, and 3 of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) act, which states that:

“(1) There shall be provided monitoring devices to protect, control and safeguard correctional activities, including observatory towers, double perimeter walls, close circuit television, body scanners, e-monitoring devices, electrically activated alarm systems, and other instruments of restraint.

“(2) The Correctional Service shall establish and maintain a fully equipped armed squads, intelligence and investigation unit to enhance security, surveillance, monitoring, intelligence gathering and protection.

“ (3) In deploying the facilities under subsection (1), priority shall be given to the security requirements of maximum security custodial centres.”

He also added that the federal executive council should urgently approve funds for the purchase and installation of the necessary security equipment.