The Director-General of Legal Aid Council, Aliyu Abubakar, has announced that the trial of 5000 Boko Haram insurgents held across Nigeria will commence soon.
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state in his office on Tuesday.
Abubakar disclosed that the inmates were detained at Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri and Kainji correctional facilities, among others, over their alleged involvement in insurgency.
According to him, 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.
The Legal Aid Council will provide defence for the suspects and has consequently commenced its own interrogation of the suspects. He disclosed that about 283 of the inmates had so far been interviewed to ascertain the nature of their involvement in the crimes levelled against them.
He said this was important because regardless of the nature of the crimes they were suspected of, there might be one or two out of a hundred who are innocent.
He said evidence must be presented against them before the court of law so that those found guilty can be punished accordingly.
According to Abubakar, regardless of the nature of the crimes they committed, “under our laws, they are innocent until proven guilty”.
He commended the men of operation Lafiya Dole for providing the council with access to its detention facility to meet the inmates.
