Five people who were suspected to be the masterminds of the bombings in both Kuje and Nyanya, satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory, have been charged to court in Abuja.They are Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu, Mohammed Jimoh, Abdulwaheed Nasiru and Abdullahi Nasiru.
While Abulwaheed Nasiru pleaded guilty to being in possession of materials to make a bomb, the other four pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge against them.
This was even as Abulwaheed Nasiru insisted that the materials to make bomb belonged to his friend, who is currently at large.
The charges against the suspects included conspiracy to carry out a bomb attack utilizing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), resulting in the death of scores of citizens and the injury of several others, as well as the possession of materials which could be used to make IEDs.
It was alleged that at the time they were arrested, the five suspects were in possession of 27 detonator parts and several chemical compounds which are used to make IEDs. All of these charges are punishable under Section 2 (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act of 2013.
The Prosecution Counsel, Musiliu Dire, asked the court to adjourn the matter to allow him to produce witnesses to testify on the case. In his own submission, the Defense Counsel, Nuremi Suleiman, requested the transfer of his clients from police custody to Kuje prison citing the ‘inhuman treatment’ his clients faced in police custody.
The Judge, Abdul Kafarati accepted Mr. Suleiman’s submission and ruled that the suspects should be remanded in Kuje prison even as he adjourned the case to November 17th and 24th. [myad]
