TERRORISM: SECURITY AGENCIES BEAM SEARCHLIGHT ON ARTISANS

Following increase in terrorist activities in Nigeria, security agencies have turned their searchlight on the activities of artisans, especially water vendors, beggars, cobblers and security guards as some of them have been found to be secret agents of terrorists.
Top security officers told Nigerian Pilot that plain clothes operatives have been deployed to hotspots in crises-torn states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to check the activities of the artisans after some were discovered to be Boko Haram spies.
“It has been brought to our notice that some of these water vendors or cobblers, even beggars that you see on the streets are spies. Some of them work in the day time as artisans, but at night, they are seen sending information even beyond the country. So we want to check that”, the source said.
Some of the artisans allegedly bribe domestic workers and private security guards to get information on their employers and organisations.
Nigerian Pilot learnt that an Army General (name withheld) living in Army Post-Housing Estate, Kurudu-Abuja, reported how a cobbler suspected to be a terror agent courted his housemaid in order to obtain information about him (the general).
The General said the suspect who polishes his shoes regularly and lived in an uncompleted building within the estate, even gave his maid money in dollar denominations in order to induce her and obtain information.
Meanwhile, the federal government has lost the bid for secret trial of Kogi State University lecturer, Dr. Mohammed Yunus and two others, who are on trial for allegedly sponsoring Boko Haram activities.
Ruling on an application before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the court is mindful of the accused persons’ right to fair hearing and the need to protect the identities of witnesses from the general public as it is done in advanced democracies where cases of terrorism are tried.
Justice Kolawole said: “To balance the conflicting interests of fair trial as prescribed by the constitution and not to unjustly expose ordinary citizens to danger; who have decided to give evidence on behalf of the state; if the court fails to give minimum comfort to witnesses, it will get to a stage where the state will no longer find witnesses”.
The court further held that: “In advanced democracies of the world, cases of terrorism have led to a legal regime of protection of witnesses”.
The three accused persons; Dr. Mohammed Yunus, Musa Umar and Salami Abdullahi, were arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering onterrorism.
Jusice Kolawole adjourned the case to May 6, 7 and May 14, 2014, for accelerated hearing.
Source: Nigerian Pilot