vanguard.
FG pacifies Boko Haram, docks 7 cops
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In what appears to be a move to appease the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, that has unleashed a reign of terror in some northern states, the Federal Government, yesterday in Abuja arraigned seven police officers and charged them with extra-judicial murder of the sect leader, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009. Members of the Islamic sect had consistently demanded justice in the murder of their leader in police custody as one of the conditions to lay down their arms.
Meanwhile, former Borno State governor, Mallam Modu Sheriff has denied allegation levelled against him by chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, Lt General Jeremiah Useni, (retired) accusing him of sponsoring thugs that later converted to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. This came just as France has promised to partner Nigeria on security.
The 7 Police officers
The seven police officers who were charged to court yesterday are CSP J. B Abang, ACP Akeera, CSP Mohammed Ahmadu, ACP Mada Buba, Sgt Adamu Gado, PC Anthony Samuel and PC Linus Luka. They were dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja, accused of alleged complicity in the extra-judicial execution of the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009. They are also facing trial over allegations of terrorism and murder.
BOKO HARAM: One of the police officers arraigned over the killing of Boko Haram's Leader, Mohammed Yusuf at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
The federal government which initiated their prosecution yesterday, alleged that they unlawfully killed the apprehended leader of the Boko Haram sect, Yusuf, and some of his followers in cold blood, stressing that their action amounted to an offence under section 315 of the Criminal Code.
Though the Federal Ministry of Justice which is prosecuting the case, declined to furnish journalists with copies of the processes that were filed before the high court, Vanguard, however, was able to secure the charge sheet.
According to a 2-count charge that was entered in court, the accused persons were alleged to have “conspired with one another to commit an offence to wit; a terrorist act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code and punishable under Section 15 (1) (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.”
It will be recalled that Yusuf, his father-in-law Baa Fugu and an alleged financier of the group, Buji Foi, were on July 30, 2009, murdered inside a police station in Maiduguri, shortly after they were captured alive and handed over to the police command by a team of military personnel who were drafted to the state to quell a crisis that bedeviled the town two years ago.
Though the police authorities in a bid to exculpate itself from blame, claimed that they died after an intense gun battle. However, video clips that later emerged, showed that they were executed in cold blood.
Meanwhile, only five of the accused persons were brought to court yesterday by heavily armed security operatives who equally manned guard at various strategic points within the high court vicinity.
(Read more at vanguardngr.com/2011/07/177831/)
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