The federal government will soon commence the arraignment of
5,000 suspected Boko Haram insurgents held across various detention facilities
in the country.
Aliyu Abubakar, director-general of Legal Aid Council, said
this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno.
Abubakar said the inmates were detained at Giwa Barracks,
Maiduguri and Kainji correctional facilities, among others, over their alleged
involvement in insurgency.
He said the trial would be conducted by the office of the
attorney-general of the federation (AGF), office of the national security
adviser (NSA) in collaboration with the theatre command of operation Lafiya
Dole.
He added that the Legal Aid Council was mandated to provide
defence for the inmates.
Abubakar noted that the council has so far interviewed about
283 of the inmates to ascertain the nature of the crimes they committed.
“As their defence council, we have to interview them from
time to time to enable us to know their own part of the story,” he said.
“It so because regardless of the generous crimes they
committed it is possible that out of hundreds, you may found out that one or
two persons were innocent of the charges that they are being detained.
“It was necessary for them to be represented by council to make
sure that the official fulfills all the requirement of the provisions of the
law.
“All evidence must be presented against them before the
court of the law so that those that were found guilty are prosecuted and face
the consequences of their action.”
Abubakar said regardless of the nature of the crime they
committed, “under our laws, they are innocent until proven guilty”.
He praised the efforts of operation Lafiya Dole in providing
the council with access to its detention facility to meet the inmates.
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