TheCable

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has asked the federal government to reveal the identities of all the 400 bureau de change operators arrested for funding Boko haram.

Ndume said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had said the government arrested some BDC operators who were funding Boko Haram insurgents.

Reacting to the report of the arrest, Ndume said the government must reveal the identities of those arrested while ensuring that their trials are done publicly.

“The presidency said recently that Nigerians would be shocked if it revealed the identities of those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram insurgents,” he said.

“Can you imagine that 400 Bureau De Change operators are the people funding the Boko Haram?

“When the BDC operators are arrested now, what will the government do with them. The presidency is already saying their case is confidential. What is confidential about it?

“The presidency should expose the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and carry out their trial in public.

“If any of them is innocent, he should be allowed to go while those found guilty must be made to face the music.”

Making reference to his own public trial when he was arrested for allegedly funding Boko Haram, Ndume said all trials must be made public no matter how highly placed the suspects are.

He added that criminals are arrested and paraded without further action.

“When I was wrongly accused, I was tried publicly and I was vindicated. The trial lasted six years in an open court. If there is any criminal act linked to anybody. No matter how highly placed, let the evidence be placed before the public, there should be no secret trial,” he said.

“Nowadays, criminals are arrested and paraded without further action. Nobody knows what happens to the people who killed 11 soldiers in Benue state recently?

“What happened to those who beheaded policemen in Cross River state?

“If everyone is doing what he is supposed to do as defined by our constitution and laws, we would not have these problems. Citizens should expose suspicious movements.”