A Federal High Court convened at the Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State, has ordered the release of 475 Boko Haram suspects among them Oyo state-born twins.
The court, which is handling the trial of about 1,000 suspects held in the cantonment in relation to the Boko Haram crisis, ordered that those released should be sent to their state governments for proper rehabilitation. Media aide to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF),m Abubakar Malami (SAN) stated this in a statement yesterday.
Mr. Salihu Othman Isah said the court ordered the release of the Boko Haram suspects at its sitting on Friday.
Isah said the suspects were arrested at different states and detained at Wawa Cantonment.
He said their release was upon a motion ex-parte filed by the prosecution pursuant to Section 35 (4) of the Constitution.
Isah said the prosecution sought their release because it could not charge them with any offence due to lack of sufficient evidence against them.
He said they were detained based on the information that they belonged to the terrorist group Boko Haram.
Part of the statement reads: “The court also directed states to provide for the released persons, rehabilitation at any appropriate centre provided by the states before being released to their families.
“Those suspects who suffer from mental or other health challenges are to be provided with necessary medical assistance at appropriate medical facilities.
“The states are also to provide appropriate training in the manner and for the period that the state deemed appropriate and reasonable.
“Among the list of the group released was a pathetic case of a female suspect, Lubabatu Yakubu who was arrested in 2014, two days after marriage and divorced by her Boko Haram husband.
“Also freed was a young mother, with her three months old baby, Mariam Mohammed, said to be a Shua Arab from Borno State
“She was said to have been lured into the Boko Haram sect and taken to Sambisa forest by her elder brother and married off to his friend at eleven years old.
“Taye Hamza and Kehinde Hamza are identical twins from Oyo State. They were based in Bauchi State. They were among the lucky ones released.
“The twins who were said to be motor mechanics, were arrested in 2010 by the DSS at their workshop in Bauchi State for servicing a vehicle belonging to a Boko Haram member.
“A 35 year old, Haruna Yahaya who was earlier sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for participating in the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State on Monday, was on Friday handed additional 15 years jail term.
“On Friday, the court sentenced him to additional 15 years imprisonment for being a mastermind of the said abduction.”