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| Photo: Courtesy Premium Times |
Some detainees, at the Kirikiri prison, Lagos, numbering more than 100 who were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorists have been released and flown to Kano and Borno.
It was gathered that the detainees were arrested in Kano, Bauchi and Borno states in 2009, during a raid by police and other security agencies, on the members of the dreaded Boko haram terrorist group.
“The Assistant Controller-General came to Kirikiri on Thursday and announced their release. A big vehicle was brought on Friday and they were transported to the airport,” informed a source.
However
another source gave the reason for their release. This source feels it may be a
swap deal in connection with the 23 remaining abductees in Abuja-Kaduna train
attack, recently released. It may be recalled that the government said that no
ransom was paid.
“It
was actually a prisoner swap demanded by Boko Haram, in exchange for the
remaining 23 Kaduna train passengers kidnapped by the sect on the 28th of March
2022”
The Legal
Aid Council had voiced recently against the continued detention of some of the
suspects. Daily Trust Newspapers quoted
an official of the council as saying that “Some of the suspects were arrested
in their homes, business premises, mosques, or travelling on the highways
during raids carried out by the police. From our investigation, more than 160
persons were arrested, but we now have 101 still in detention. They were
initially 104, but three died in detention while six others have mental
problems due to trauma.
“They were
separately detained in correctional centres in Kano, Maiduguri and Bauchi
pending the time they would meet their bail conditions. However, in March 2011
they were all herded into a truck and moved to Lagos.
“We
have 74 being detained in the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre while 27 are
detained in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre”
The official
went further to inform that while in Lagos there was an order that they should
not be allowed to have access to their relatives. He said the offence under
which the detainees were charged carries a maximum of four years. In other
words, even if they were charged to court and sentenced, they would have
finished serving their term.
“They could
not also be detained under the terrorism act as the law was passed after their
arrest, and it does not have a retrospective effect.
“These
people should be released or brought back to the respective places of their
arrest and be prosecuted. This is a clear case of human rights abuse, which
should be addressed immediately in the interest of justice.”
It was
learnt, however, that the intervention of the Attorney-General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was sought by the Director-General of the Council.
It was further revealed that the detainees had also undergone the de-radicalization program of the Federal government while in detention.