The arraignment of 17 suspected
members of the Boko Haram sect was stalled yesterday at the Federal High
Court, Lagos, because five of them had no lawyers to represent them, a
court official who did not want to be named, said.
It was learnt that the presiding judge, Justice Musa Kurya, adjourned the matter to enable the five get legal representation.
The suspects were charged with eight
counts of belonging to the proscribed organisation and for being in
possession of explosives and dangerous weapons.
The accused include: Ali Modu, Adamu Karumi, Ibrahim Ali, Ibrahim Bukar, Mohammed A. Mohammed, Bala Haruna and Idris Ali.
The rest are: Mohammed Murtala, Kadri
Mohammed, Mustapha Hassan, Abba Duguni, Sanni Adamu, Danjuma Yahaya,
Musa Bala, Bala Daura, Faruk Haruna, Abdulaziz Zuladaini.
The charge stated that the suspects were
arrested at three locations in Lagos on March 21, namely Plot 5, Road
69, Lekki Phase 1 Housing Estate; 24 Oyegbemi Street, Ijora Oloye, Apapa
and at an unnumbered bungalow on Oyegbemi Street, behind Celestial
Church, Ijora Oloye.
The government said they conspired among
themselves “to commit felony, to wit acts of terrorism” by having in
their possession explosive substances, including three packets of
explosive construction pipes and 15 detonators.
They were also allegedly in possession
of 11 AK-47 riffle magazines loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition
each; 200 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition, one AK-47 rifle, two AK-47
rifle magazines with three rounds of live ammunition each, two suit
cases containing explosives and one water container of explosives.
Also recovered from the suspects, the
charge said, were one bag containing canisters, one HP laptop, five
Nokia handsets and one red Volkswagen Golf car with registration number
Lagos: SMK 427 AZ, allegedly meant to transport the explosives.
The alleged offence is contrary to
Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 and punishable under
Section 17 (b) of the same Act.
In another count, it was stated that
Ibrahim Bukar and Kadri Mohammed, on the same day, “knowingly entered
into an arrangement as a result of which money is to be made available
for the purpose of terrorism for a proscribed organisation to wit: Boko
Haram sect.”
The government said the alleged offence
is contrary to Section 13 (2) of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act
2013 and punishable under same Act.
According to the fifth count, the
accused were arrested by a team of security agents for being members of a
proscribed organisation, the Boko Haram sect, said to be contrary to
Section 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Proscription Order) Notice 2013
and punishable under the same 2 (3) (1) read in conjunction with
Section 33 (1) (b) of the Act as amended.
The accused also allegedly had in their
possession prohibited firearms without a licence, contrary to Section
516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria
2004 and punishable under the same section.
Journalists were barred from covering proceedings.
As proceedings were to begin, an SSS official asked everyone who was not a lawyer to leave the courtroom.
The suspects were brought to the court
at about 9.45am by a combined team of riot policemen and Department of
State Security Services (DSS) officials who were armed with
sophisticated weapons.
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