The federal government yesterday said it will vigorously and intensively work to make sure no stone is left unturned in the prosecution of
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN made this known in an interview with journalists in
Malami also explained why the said sponsors, many of whom are under investigation cannot be made public.
In a statement by his media aide, Dr Umar Gwandu, the
According to the statement, the position, as it stands, is that investigation has reached advanced stage and the Government will make statement in that direction in due course.
The
"As per as terrorism funding and financing is concerned, we have succeeded in identifying those that are allegedly responsible for funding same and we are blocking the leakages associated with funding while embarking on aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in terms of the fight against terrorism.
"The truth of the matter is that investigation is ongoing and advancing. For the purpose of investigation I would not like to be pre-emptive in terms of making disclosures that will have effect of undermining the successes we are recording," Malami said.
The
"The Federal Government through the
"The delay witnessed in prosecution process was occasioned by COVID-19 lockdown,
Naming and shaming of suspects is not embarked upon as a policy by the federal Government out of sheer respect the constitutional rights of Nigerians relating to presumption of innocence. It is a product of constitutionalism and the law. It is rooted in the law and the names of the suspects will accordingly be made public at the point of judicial arraignment while the shaming remains a consequence of judicial conviction. Trials are judicial process and not about media sensations.
"Naming and shaming in the Nigerian context must be rooted in constitutionalism. We must strike a balance between constitutional presumption of innocence and evidential proof of reasonable ground for suspicion in making disclosures associated with terrorism funding and financing.
"Where reasonable grounds are established, suspects must be naturally taken to court at which point their identity must be disclosed and the naming become apparent. Shaming, on the other hand, is the product of conviction at which point the public are equally judicially put on noticed.
"In essence naming and shaming within the context of Nigerian law are judicial functions which commence with arraignment and terminate with convictions. Naming and shaming is not unguided and unregulated process. It is not like a discarded ship left at the mercy of winds and tides.
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