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The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to fighting terrorists in the north-east within the ambit of the law, observing due process in line with constitutional guarantee and procedures relating to fair trial.
A top official of the Ministry of Justice, Professor Peter Akper, gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday at a forum organised to look at efforts that the government had made so far in the fight against terror in Nigeria.
This assurance is coming just as the Boko Haram sect has continued to unleash violence in the north east, with a suicide bomb attack in Gombe on Monday.
It was the latest of the series of attacks that had occurred in the last one month. It occurred about 30 minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan ended a political campaign in the State.
Professor Akper, however, assured the gathering that the government had remained focused in its fight against terror, but stressed that due process must be followed.
The statement underscores the need to strike a balance between the demands of human rights and national security which is a matter of concern in all jurisdictions where the war against terror is being prosecuted.
Despite these challenges, Professor Akper expressed optimism that the war would be won considering the strategies that had been put in place to tackle the terrorist group terrorising communities in the north-east.
A senior legal officer from the office of the National Security Adviser, Bello Fadile, agreed with the position of the representative of the Attorney General, saying that a counter terrorism strategy had been put in place.
The chairman of the British-Nigeria Law Forum and convener of the event, Babatunde Akinyanju, stressed the need for appropriate punishment for terrorists, as a deterrent.
With a focus on counter-terrorism in Nigeria, the rule of law and strategies for law enforcement, participants at the forum believed that building capacity within the criminal justice system was fundamental in the fight against terror.
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