Court releases 475 B/Haram suspects for rehabilitation

A Federal High Court sitting at Wawa Cantonment, Niger state last Friday, set 475 Boko Haram suspects free, awaiting deployment to their states of origin for proper rehabilitation.
Special Adviser to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Comrade Salihu Othman Isah said the suspects were arrested at different states and detained at Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger state.
He disclosed that their detention was based on information that they belonged to the proscribed Boko Haram gropu or that they concealed information about the group which they knew or believed to be of material assistance in preventing the commission of act of terrorism or securing apprehension, prosecution or conviction of members of the sect.
However, the Prosecution Counsel could not charge them with any offence due to lack of sufficient evidence against them. Therefore, the suspects were released on motion exparte pursuance to section 35 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The court also directed states to provide for the released persons, rehabilitation at any appropriate centre provided by the states before being released to their families.
Those suspects who are mentally deranged or challenged with their health are to be provided medical attention at any appropriate medical or other mental health facilities.
The states were also to provide appropriate training in the manner and for the period that the state deemed appropriate and reasonable.
Among the list of the group released was a pathetic case of a female suspect, Lubabatu Yakubu, who was arrested in 2014 by the officials of the Department of Security Services (DSS) in Numan town, Adamawa state, two days after marriage and divorced by her Boko Haram husband.
Lubabatu was accused of her affiliation with Boko Haram husband.
Another suspect, a young mother cuddling her three months old baby, Mariam Mohammed, a Shua Arab from Borno state was released. She was lured into the Boko Haram sect and taken to Sambisa forest by her elder brother and married off to his friend at eleven years old.
She was arrested by soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in 2014 while trying to escape the Boko Haram enclave in the Sambisa forest.