The Joint Investigation Centre of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East has voiced its frustration over the prolonged delay in the trial of 1,450 terrorism suspects, despite investigations into their cases having been completed.
The centre revealed that these suspects were among a total of 1,877 individuals arrested and investigated for alleged involvement in terror-related activities.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the Acting Commander of the JIC, Colonel A.U. Ahmed, represented by Olugbenga Adeniyi, explained that after thorough investigations, the suspects were classified according to their level of involvement and the findings of legal assessments conducted by the Complex Casework Group.
“After the investigation, the Complex Casework Group carries out a review of the investigation reports and offers the necessary legal advice. Based on this, the detainees are categorised into three groups: Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration,” he stated.
Ahmed further noted that active terrorists selected for prosecution have been transferred to the Giwa Centre in Kainji, while others have been sent to the Operation SAFE CORRIDOR for rehabilitation or handed over to the Borno State Government for reintegration.
Despite these efforts, he lamented the persistent delays within the judicial system, which have resulted in many suspects remaining in custody long after investigations were concluded.
“Most of the suspects in detention are awaiting prosecution. “However, the delay is responsible for their continued stay in custody longer than necessary,” he remarked.
Highlighting obstacles hindering the prosecution process, the commander pointed to difficulties in securing witnesses, limited access to crime scenes, and some witnesses’ unwillingness to testify.
“The centre faces difficulty in securing most of the witnesses that would have aided the investigations. This is partly due to a lack of accessibility by our investigators to most areas of arrest or crime scenes and unwillingness of some witnesses to come forward,” he explained.
The JIC urged for urgent reforms and improved inter-agency cooperation to overcome these challenges and ensure timely justice for both terrorism suspects and victims in the region.
