Boko Haram Sponsors Must Be Prosecuted – Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and a former member of House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, have called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that alleged sponsors of the fundamentalist Islamic sect, Boko Haram are prosecuted. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana This call, is following the revelation of Australian negotiator, Dr Stephen Davis who revealed former governor of Borno State, Modu Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika as Boko Haram sponsors. Falana said in a statement on Sunday that to avoid possible manipulation of the investigation of the suspects as revealed by Davies, President Jonathan must refer the suspects to the Special Prosecutor of the international Criminal Court. He said:“In view of the gravity of the allegations of crimes against humanity committed by the sponsors of the Boko Haram sect, President Jonathan should refer the suspects to the Special Prosecutor of the international Criminal Court. “Any local investigation conducted by the Federal Governnent in the circumstance may be manipulated by vested political interests.” Falana said the disclosure by the Australian negotiator in a well publicised televised interview in London last week, “was backed with some detailed accounts which confirmed some information in the domain of the security forces in the country.” He said:“The international negotiator disclosed that a former governor of Borno state, a former chief of army staff and a former top official of the Central Bank of Nigeria have provided funds and other logistics to the body for the terrorist attackswhich had claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people in the country.” He added:“It would be recalled that the Ambassador Usman Galtimari Committeee on insurgency in the north east zone set up in 2011 by President Jonathan had recommended the prosecution of some politicians who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram. “In a White Paper issued on the report of the Committee, the Federal Government accepted the recommendation and directed the National Security Adviser to coordinate the investigation of the kingpins and sponsors to unravel the individuals and groups that are involved. “Although the White Paper was published in May 2012, the directive of the Federal Government has not been carried out up till now because the individuals involved are said to be connected to the Presidency. However, the special envoy of the Federal Government has just named one of the ‘kingpins and sponsors’ of the terrorist sect.” Meanwhile House of Representative member, Dino Melaye on Sunday, August 31 blasted former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode for pointing accusing fingers at his party, All Progressive Congress (APC) as being sponsors of Boko Haram. He said what was expected of the President Jonathan’s administration was to order an independent investigation of the allegations instead of playing politics with it.