Despite UAE’s naming of Nigerians financing terrorism globally and in Nigeria, Presidency says no naming or shaming of the financiers

“Rest assured that these people (terror financiers) would be tried before justice and justice would have its way”

Several days after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) named and prosecuted six Nigerians and 32 others for allegedly financing terrorism globally including Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Presidency says the authorities are not interested in “naming or shaming” financiers of terrorism in the country.

Rather, the Buhari government is only interested in bringing the suspects to justice, Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said.

He was reacting to a list of terrorism financiers sent to Nigeria by the United Arab Emirates.

Persecondnews recalls that his comments came days after EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said Nigerians would know the identities of terrorism financiers in the country “at the right time”.

Adesina, who is on the entourage of the President to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S. 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.

“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.”

Persecondnews also reported that the late former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a critic of the Buhari administration, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, had alleged that a serving governor from the Northern part of the country was a Boko Haram leader and sponsor.

He was invited and quizzed by the Department of State Services (DSS) several times over the statement.

In March 2021, a presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, had said the Nigerian Government arrested 400 Bureau de Change operators who were funding Boko Haram in the country from UAE.

Also, retired Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi was quoted as saying that some governors, senators, and officials in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, are sponsoring Boko Haram lslamic jihadists.