Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Jimi Benson, says individuals financing terrorism in Nigeria cannot be prosecuted openly because of security implications and ongoing investigations.
Benson explained the government’s position during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Tuesday, December 2.
He said many of the financiers have been on the radar of security agencies for an extended period.
According to him, “The financiers of terrorists in Nigeria cannot be tried in public, a lot of them are under scrutiny for a very long time now.”
The lawmaker clarified that this scrutiny includes identification and tracking, noting that both local and international actors are involved. He stressed that withholding their identities was necessary for national security.
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“The public cannot know who they are because of security,” Benson said.
“A lot of them can’t think of financing anybody anymore. I can assure you that work is in progress. A responsible government will deal with these people at the appropriate time,” he added.
He added that the government is working continuously, with support from international partners, to ensure that those responsible for funding terrorism are brought to justice.
“The government is working, the tracking and the trying of these people. And there’s a lot of international help as well to bring these people to book,” he said.