Boko Haram: No plan to transfer detainees to Anambra – APC

Some youth in Awka and Onitsha in Anambra state, on Saturday protested against the alleged plan by the Federal Government to relocate Boko Haram sect members currently serving jail terms in some prisons in the north to the state.
But the South East chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said on Sunday that there was no plan by the Federal Government to send Boko Haram detainees to any prison in Anambra state.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, the APC described the news of the relocation of the prisoners as “blatant falsehood”.
“We have made contacts with the Presidency and the Nigeria Prison Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and they assured us that there is no iota of truth in the mischievous rumour,” the party said.
“In the clarification the Nigeria Prison Service stated unequivocally that, ‘Most of the terror suspects are awaiting trial and so there is no way they can be moved to another state, because they must be tried in the state where they committed the crime.’
“They went further to state that their primary and traditional duty is to move detainees from prison to trial courts and wondered how easy it is to move the detainees more than 1000 kilometers from Onitsha to Maiduguri if they are relocated.”
The party appealed to “our dear compatriots to disregard the blackmail and sinister rumour of rear-guard elements; who are yet to recover from their failure in the March 28th presidential election”.
It assured the people of the South East zone that the change President Muhammadu Buhari promised is real and that the 2nd Niger Bridge, federal roads, Enugu Coal and other physical and social infrastructure in the region would be revamped.