The State Security Service on Tuesday arraigned
eight Boko Haram members on two counts charge of criminal felony and
conspiracy.
Shuaibu Abubakar, Mohammed Danladi, Salisu Ahmed, Ahmed Hassan Ezimakpo, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adams and Umar Ibrahim were arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Wuse, Zone 2 at about 1: 40 pm.
Aged between 20 and 35 years, the suspects were brought to the court by heavily armed SSS operatives. They were accused of planting the bombs that killed 16 people at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State on April 8, 2011. Also, they were alleged to have planted another bomb that killed three persons at the All Christian Fellowship Church, also in Suleja; a bomb blast that killed three persons in Bawri, a satellite town in the FCT.
All but one of the suspects pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge, which was read in English but translated to Hausa when they said they did not speak English.
The charge sheet says the eight suspects are accused of conspiring “to do an illegal act to wit, planting and detonating explosives at different places which caused grievous bodily harm and killed about 22 people at different places.”
The 4th accused, Ezimakpor, a miner, who spoke shortly after the charge was read, narrated how he joined the sect, saying he joined the group as a preacher. He told the court he would plead guilty to only one of the charges, because he introduced the supplier of cortex wires (used in the detonation of explosive devices) to the mastermind, one Bashir, and his co-accused persons. The wires were sourced from a mining site in Nasarawa State. Our correspondent learnt that Hassan’s mother is from the South-East while his father hails from Niger Republic.
The prosecuting counsel, Cliff Osagie, told the Magistrate, Biola Oyewole, that he would adopt the First Information Report filed before the court earlier. He stated that the SSS intended to bring more accused persons in connection with the bombings, adding that many suspects were being arrested “as we speak.”
He informed the court that investigation had been concluded and he was prepared for the trial even as he appealed to the court to remand the accused persons in the SSS custody.
Ezimakpor explained that he had visited Abuja on May 3, 2011, where he ran into the 3rd accused, Salisu Ahmed, with whom he had proselytized as members of Boko Haram, between 2008 and 2009.
According to Ezimakpor, he lost interest in the sect later and changed his mobile phone number. He gave his new number to Ahmed and warned him not to share it with anyone, but he (Ahmed) gave the number to Bashir, who is at large.
“Bashir called me at Madala, (Niger State) for a meeting. He told me he had a message to train Boko Haram members for the revenge of (ex-sect leader) Mohammed Yusuf’s death. So they taught us how to handle AK-47. After that, Salisu, Bashir and I took an oath. After the pledge, I told Bashir I was not satisfied, that I was no longer interested in the Boko Haram movement.
“I changed my number and travelled to Nasarawa State. Bashir later called me and asked me to supply cortex wire. But I said I couldn’t. He insisted, saying I should connect him with a person that could supply the wire. As he insisted, I was afraid and I told him I would connect him to a labourer at the mine,” Ezimakpor said. According to him, two rolls of cortex wires were later supplied to the 2nd accused person who then delivered them to Bashir.
At this point, Osagie interrupted Ezimakpor’s narrative, saying his defence would be taken during the trial.
The Magistrate asked the accused persons about their lawyers and seeing that they had no legal representation, informed them they had the right to have a counsel. Oyewole then adjourned the matter to October 4, 2011.
By Adelani Adepegba, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
Shuaibu Abubakar, Mohammed Danladi, Salisu Ahmed, Ahmed Hassan Ezimakpo, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adams and Umar Ibrahim were arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Wuse, Zone 2 at about 1: 40 pm.
Aged between 20 and 35 years, the suspects were brought to the court by heavily armed SSS operatives. They were accused of planting the bombs that killed 16 people at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State on April 8, 2011. Also, they were alleged to have planted another bomb that killed three persons at the All Christian Fellowship Church, also in Suleja; a bomb blast that killed three persons in Bawri, a satellite town in the FCT.
All but one of the suspects pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge, which was read in English but translated to Hausa when they said they did not speak English.
The charge sheet says the eight suspects are accused of conspiring “to do an illegal act to wit, planting and detonating explosives at different places which caused grievous bodily harm and killed about 22 people at different places.”
The 4th accused, Ezimakpor, a miner, who spoke shortly after the charge was read, narrated how he joined the sect, saying he joined the group as a preacher. He told the court he would plead guilty to only one of the charges, because he introduced the supplier of cortex wires (used in the detonation of explosive devices) to the mastermind, one Bashir, and his co-accused persons. The wires were sourced from a mining site in Nasarawa State. Our correspondent learnt that Hassan’s mother is from the South-East while his father hails from Niger Republic.
The prosecuting counsel, Cliff Osagie, told the Magistrate, Biola Oyewole, that he would adopt the First Information Report filed before the court earlier. He stated that the SSS intended to bring more accused persons in connection with the bombings, adding that many suspects were being arrested “as we speak.”
He informed the court that investigation had been concluded and he was prepared for the trial even as he appealed to the court to remand the accused persons in the SSS custody.
Ezimakpor explained that he had visited Abuja on May 3, 2011, where he ran into the 3rd accused, Salisu Ahmed, with whom he had proselytized as members of Boko Haram, between 2008 and 2009.
According to Ezimakpor, he lost interest in the sect later and changed his mobile phone number. He gave his new number to Ahmed and warned him not to share it with anyone, but he (Ahmed) gave the number to Bashir, who is at large.
“Bashir called me at Madala, (Niger State) for a meeting. He told me he had a message to train Boko Haram members for the revenge of (ex-sect leader) Mohammed Yusuf’s death. So they taught us how to handle AK-47. After that, Salisu, Bashir and I took an oath. After the pledge, I told Bashir I was not satisfied, that I was no longer interested in the Boko Haram movement.
“I changed my number and travelled to Nasarawa State. Bashir later called me and asked me to supply cortex wire. But I said I couldn’t. He insisted, saying I should connect him with a person that could supply the wire. As he insisted, I was afraid and I told him I would connect him to a labourer at the mine,” Ezimakpor said. According to him, two rolls of cortex wires were later supplied to the 2nd accused person who then delivered them to Bashir.
At this point, Osagie interrupted Ezimakpor’s narrative, saying his defence would be taken during the trial.
The Magistrate asked the accused persons about their lawyers and seeing that they had no legal representation, informed them they had the right to have a counsel. Oyewole then adjourned the matter to October 4, 2011.
By Adelani Adepegba, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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