The Federal Government has concluded plans to arraign about 400 alleged Boko Haram sponsors and financiers arrested in a nationwide sting operation last month.
According to reports, some of the financiers, who included bureau de change operators, were arrested in Kano, Borno, Abuja, Lagos, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kaduna and Zamfara.
According to a report by The Punch, the Federal Government is already preparing criminal charges bordering on terrorism against them as investigations continued into their nefarious activities.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG gathered that the arrest of the men was sequel to the recent jailing of six Nigerians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allegations of terrorism financing.
The media aide to Abubakar Malami, (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation), Dr Umar Gwandu who confirmed the development on Monday said the prosecution of the suspects “will commence as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, findings indicated that the government was still probing the level of the businessmen’s connections to the terrorist group.
Daily Trust had reported the arrest of the 400 suspected terror financiers by the Defence Intelligence Agency in collaboration with the Department of State Services, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
As part of the crackdown, billions of naira traced to businesses belonging to persons of interest were said to have been blocked in banks in series of “post no debit” letters sent out to banks by the CBN and NFIU.
The apex bank had reportedly obtained court orders directing the freezing of dozens of accounts flagged for suspicious transactions.