Jonathan orders release of 165 terror suspects

Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade
| credits: www.ynaija.com

The authorities of the Defence Headquarters in Abuja have said that over 175 detained terror suspects are to regain freedom.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Friday that the military authorities are to release the suspects in line with a Presidential order.

The Defence spokesman said that the terror suspects were arrested in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa which have been under emergency rule.

Olukolade said that the suspects were earlier recommended for release by a Joint Investigation Team constituted by the Defence Headquarters in 2013.

He said that 157 of the detainees would be released from military facilities in Borno state, nine from Yobe State and one from Adamawa State.

According to him, the suspects would be handed over to their respective state governments.

He said, “Over 165 persons apprehended in the course of military operations on terror in three states in the North-East are to be released from custody in compliance with Presidential directive.

“The suspects are those earlier recommended for release by the Joint Investigation Team set up by the Defence Headquarters last year.

The Defence Spokesman explained that the 165 terror suspects are to be released because the categorisation made by the panel of military investigators gave sufficient reasons for their release.

He added that the recommendation of the panel for the release of the suspects enjoyed the support of the higher authorities involved in the review of the cases.

Olukolade explained that the current batch of detainees was not released at the time the women and the children were released because they were not arrested at the same time.

He stressed that the panel which visited all the detention facilities and categorised all the detainees found the suspects deserving of release.

Olukolade argued further that it was not possible for all such detainees to be released at the same time as people were still being arrested even as of Friday.

He said, “All of them were not arrested the same day. Even as we talk, some are being arrested. It is when somebody is classified; if his case is in need of further investigation or he should be prosecuted or asked to go that his case is closed.

“The panel visited the detention facilities and categorized everybody and these ones were found worthy of being released.”

The 19-member Joint Investigation Panel of the DHQ had recommended 500 suspected high profile members of the sect who were arrested in the North East for immediate trial.