How not to tackle terror.

by Eze Eluchie

The continued bickering by two Federal Government agencies with prosecutorial powers, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Security (DSS), over who will conduct the prosecution of the principal suspect in the April 14^th 2014 Nyanya (Abuja) bomb blast, Mr. Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, is simply a mind-boggling national embarrassment!!!

Since his July 15^th extradition to Nigeria, squabbles in open court, in one instance open verbal altercations between counsels representing federal agencies, between the NPF and the DSS over who will prosecute Mr. Ogwuche has caused multiple adjournment of the self-confessed terrorists’ trial.

When one realizes that overall prosecutorial powers of the Federal Government is vested in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the question that readily comes to mind is: Why is the occupant of the Office of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice allowing the continuing international ridicule and mockery of Nigeria to continue over the shameful indecision as to which agency has powers and right to prosecute a terrorism suspect whom the international community, through InterPol, had compelled the Sudanese Government to repatriate to Nigeria?

Who will blame InterPol if they refuse to cooperate with our ‘intelligence’ and Police authorities over future requests for extradition of suspects? Who will point fingers at other countries if they choose not to share intelligence related towards tackling terrorism issues with us?

If the Federal Government is not ready to prosecute Mr. Ogbeche, the young man should be allowed to go home forthwith – perhaps, so he can plot and execute more dastardly terror attacks! Clearly, this is portending to be a repeat of the fiasco generated when at the heat of efforts to classify Boko Haram an Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in the United States, some elements within the Nigerian Government had vociferously opposed such efforts, advocating instead, that BH was merely a domestic civil disturbance.

Lack of central coordination and apparent internal misunderstanding and mudslinging in approaches to contain terror, within agencies of government is certainly one clear manner in which not to tackle terror - it sends all the wrong signals.

Again, where is Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice?

Picture: Terror suspect, . Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, upon arrival in Nigeria from Sudan.