Shettima calls for fair trial for suspected Boko Haram detainees

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Tuesday appealed to the Defence Headquarters to ensure fairness in the trial of all suspected members of the Boko Haram sect currently in detention.
Shettima made the appeal while receiving a Defence Headquarters Joint Investigation Team for the screening of suspected members of the sect who are being detained at various military camps in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.
He also appealed to the team to release immediately all detainees found to be innocent.
“I kindly urge the team to abide by its inspired commitment to free anyone found to be innocent because I have confidence in the team and the Defence Headquarters,” Shettima said.
He commended the Defence Headquarters for setting up the team, saying it was a bold step towards ensuring justice for the numerous detainees in military camps.
Shettima added: “Let me congratulate the Defence Headquarters for the bold step in setting up the team, comprising lawyers and highly disciplined security experts, for the sole purpose of protecting the rights of our citizens detained over the insurgency.
“The measure will help to ensure that innocent persons are not wrongly punished.”
Earlier, Brigadier General Abdulkadir Abubakar said the team was constituted by the Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Ola Ibrahim, to screen all detainees with a view to determining their culpability.
Abubakar said: “The team was constituted by the CDS to screen and categorise all detained Boko Haram suspects.
“The essence of the committee is to explore ways of handling the issues of the detainees, using the judicial option.”
He said that the team was made up of law experts in the military service, as well as other security agencies, with a view to ensuring a thorough job was done.
Abubakar said that the team had already made some progress since its arrival in Borno State about a week ago.
He said going by the preliminary investigations, some detainees would be tried at the state courts while others would be sent for trial at the federal courts in Abuja.