Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has dared the Federal Government to expose the over 400 Bureau De Change Operators recently arrested for allegedly funding the activities of Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, made the call in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
It would be recalled that Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, had last month, hinted that the Federal Government had arrested some Bureau De Change operators who were facilitating the transfer of funds to Boko Haram terrorists.
“Bureaus de change are facilitating money to terrorists. We have already worked with the UAE. Convictions have been achieved of Nigerians who are transferring money to Boko Haram terrorists and this also happens domestically.
“I tell you that by the time we finish this investigation, the shocking details will surprise many Nigerians,” Shehu had said.
The senator demanded that Nigerians deserve to know what the government was doing concerning the suspects arrested by security agents in an ongoing nationwide crackdown on suspected financiers and collaborators of Boko Haram.
“The Presidency said recently that Nigerians would be shocked if it revealed the identities of those who are sponsoring the Boko Haram insurgents.
“Can you imagine that 400 Bureau De Change operators are the people funding the Boko Haram?
“When the BDC operators are arrested now, what will the government do with them. The presidency is already saying their case is confidential. What is confidential about it?
“The presidency should expose the identities of all the BDC operators so far arrested and carry out their trial in public. If any of them is innocent, he should be allowed to go while those found guilty must be made to face the music.
“When I was wrongly accused, I was tried publicly and I was vindicated. The trial lasted six years in an open court. If there is any criminal act linked to anybody. No matter how highly placed, let the evidence be placed before the public, there should be no secret trial.
“Nowadays, criminals are arrested and paraded without further action. Nobody knows what happens to the people who killed 11 soldiers in Benue State recently?” he added.
