These are not the best of times for families Bureau De Change (BDC) operators reportedly arrested over their involvement in terrorism financing as the Department of State Service (DSS) has denied having the suspects in its custody.
Families of the operators, who were reportedly arrested 11 months ago for allegedly facilitating the transfer of money to Boko Haram terrorists, had protested in Kano on Wednesday, demanding the release of their breadwinners.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in March 2021, announced that the federal government had arrested several BDC operators who were enabling money transfers to Boko Haram insurgents.
The presidential aide had earlier alleged that certain Nigerians were moving funds to the group from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in collaboration with BDC operators.
According to him, “BDC operators are facilitating money to terrorists…Dozens of persons have been arrested by security agents in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on suspected financiers and collaborators of Boko Haram.”
The protesters accused the DSS of inviting the BDC operators from Kano, Sokoto, Yola and Minna, for questioning in March 2021, and have held them in their custody since then.
This is as human rights lawyer, Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN), in a letter to the DSS Director General, Yusuf Magaji, in Abuja, has threatened to drag the service to court if it failed to release or arraign the suspects.
However, the DSS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Peter Afunanya, has debunked the claims, insisting that the BDC operators were not in the custody of the service.
Further investigation by Blueprint Weekend revealed that matter bothers on the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
A source conversant with the case told our correspondent that in such operations multiple agencies may have been involved but the lead agencies takes the over subsequently.
The source, who did want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, further stated, “Administrative delays and negligence could be responsible for the continued detention of the suspects without trial.
“If they had been diligent they would have sieved the large number of suspects and prosecuted those who were found to be culpable.”
Terrorism financing: BDC operators not in our custody – DSS
