Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, has said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is working underground through the National Intelligence Agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to bring alleged terrorism financials to face the wrath of the law.
Adesina insists the government is not interested in just naming or shaming Boko Haram sponsors and other financiers of terrorism in the country.
The presidential aide said rather, the Buhari administration is interested in bringing the “malefactors” to justice.
He spoke on Monday evening as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ current affairs programme.
The United Arab Emirates named and prosecuted six Nigerians and 32 others for allegedly financing terrorism.
Adesina’s colleague and presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had in March 2021 said the Nigerian Government arrested 400 Bureau De Change operators for allegedly funding Boko Haram insurgency in the country. He had said the Nigerians were transferring money to the sect from the United Arab Emirates.
Asked to give an update on the prosecution of terror sponsors in the country, Adesina, who is part of the entourage of the President in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, said, “Naming and shaming would not be the motive, rather bringing malefactors to justice would be it.
“Nigeria is not interested in naming and shaming anybody, rather it wants to bring them to justice
“The United Arab Emirates has brought some names and the Attorney General of the Federation has responded to that matter, saying that in due course, all these people would have their days in court.
“Rest assured that these people (terror financiers) would be tried before justice and justice would have its way.”
The presidential aide also said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other related agencies were investigating the allegations against suspected terror funders in the country.
“You don’t take people before the court without investigation. The EFCC chairman spoke about it recently.
“Investigations are going on about it differently, at the level of the EFCC, at the level of the National Intelligence Agency, all security agencies would be working at it so that when those people eventually appeared in court, there would be prima facie case against them,” he noted.
