Resumption of fresh trial of 1,000 detained Boko Haram suspects begins on Monday, February 12

macfranc007 February 12, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- Federal government, will today resume the trial of suspected detained Boko Haram insurgents

- Boko Haram suspects with prima facie cases would be prosecuted in a military facility located in Kainji, Niger state

- Four judges have been allocated to four dedicated courts to handle the trial

The Nigerian federal government, will on Monday, February 12, resume the trial of suspected Boko Haram insurgents detained in various locations of the country, The Punch reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that a press statement by the special adviser to the AGF on Media and Publicity, Salihu Isah, said on Sunday that the second phase of the trial at the Kainji detention facility in Niger State would begin on Monday (today).

The statement said: “Resumption of trial arose from the conclusion of investigation of over 1,000 suspects as ordered by the court during its proceedings of October 2017 by the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.”

Isah explained that suspects with prima facie cases would be prosecuted, while others without it would have applications made for their discharge, adding that those discharged will undergo a process of de-radicalisation.

He said the de-radicalisation exercise would be conducted by the Office of the National Security Adviser the concerned suspects would be released to their various families.

He added: “Recall, this exercise which is a concerted effort of the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser kicked off in Kainji, Niger State on Monday, October 9, 2017.

“Four judges were allocated to four dedicated courts to handle the trial located in a military facility in Kainji while defence counsel were provided for those suspects without capacity to hire private legal practitioners to defend them.

“Unlike the first phase which was restricted, this phase is opened with some civil society groups, including human rights organisation and journalists invited to witness the proceedings.

“Already, about 82 Boko Haram detainees have so far benefitted from the Federal Government’s window to plead guilty to secure low jail terms or unconditional release which is part of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s concerted effort to boost its human right records and decongest the nation’s prisons.

“As a result, about 45 convictions have also been pronounced by the trial judges in the four syndicated courts established by then acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Abdu Kafarati. The various Boko Haram suspects were sentenced to jail terms ranging from two years to 15 years and with most of them backdated to the date of their detention.

“There are four categories of suspects at the Kainji detention facility who are classified as Boko Haram suspects who were hitherto investigated by the Joint Investigation Team set up by the Defence Headquarters otherwise known as DHQ/JIT.

“The case files of the suspected insurgents were then transmitted to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and after a careful review of the cases based on their individual merit, it was discovered that they have no prima facie cases that will sustain a charge against them in any court of law.

“As a result, they were recommended for release and hand over to the Office of the National Security Adviser for rehabilitation and/or de-radicalisation.

“The second category is the set of suspects that the Honourable Attorney General established prima facie cases against and charges already filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division who are also mostly in the detention facility under reference and may be willing to plead guilty for a lesser sentences.

“The third category are the suspects whose case files are either recommended for further investigation or that have no investigation conducted on them at all hence they do not have case files that will warrant the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation to form any opinion in respect of their case.

“Also, the fourth category is that of the suspects whose cases were reviewed and a prima facie were found and may be willing to opt for a full trial.”

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app

According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, Nigeria’s defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali, on Saturday, January 6, revealed that the country now has about 20,000 Boko Haram suspects in various prisons adding that many of them are waiting to be profiled before facing trial.

Daily Trust reports that Dan Ali spoke during a weekly Hausa Programme ‘Hannu da Yawa’ aired on FRCN monitored in Kaduna.

He said: “As I'm talking to you now we have about 10,000 to 20, 000 Boko Haram suspects scattered in our prisons. We are working tirelessly to profile them so that we put those fully involve to trial."

Police parade gang leader of Badoo Cult group in Lagos - on NAIJ.com TV.