5 Abuja bombers were yesterday, arraigned before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, one pleads guilty
ABUJA – Five alleged masterminds of the bomb blasts that rocked the Kuje and Nyanya axis of Abuja on October 2, 2015, were yesterday, arraigned before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
ABUJA – Five alleged masterminds of the bomb blasts that rocked the Kuje and Nyanya axis of Abuja on October 2, 2015, were yesterday, arraigned before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
The accused persons who were docked on a five-count terrorism charge yesterday were Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu, Mohammed Jimoh, Abdulwaheed Nasiru and Abdullahi Nasiru.
After they took turns and entered their plea to the charge which was preferred against them by the federal government, trial Justice Abdul Kafarati ordered that they should be remanded in Kuje Prison.
Meanwhile, one of the accused persons, Abdulwaheed Nasiru, yesterday, pleaded guilty to count four of the charge, which indicated that it was in his house that items the alleged insurgents used in manufacturing the Improvised Explosive Device, IED, that was used for the bombings, were stored.
The FG Identified the items that were concealed in the accused person’s apartment at Unguwar Ebira, Karmajiji Area, behind Military Commentary, off Airport Road, Abuja, as- 27 pieces of detonators, aluminum powder, Hexomine, Hydrogene Peroxide, Sulphur powder, Sodium Azide plus nitrate, Iron 11 Oxide, soldering wire; sugar and PH litimus paper.
Other IED materials that were stored by the 4th accused person also included Sodium Carbonate, thermometer, Chlorate, Filter paper, strings, Potacium Chlorate, 12 ready-made IED and a full bag of fertilizer.
Though Nasiru pleaded guilty to the charge, he however insisted that he was not the owner of the items, saying he never knew that they were going to be used for an act of terrorism.
He told the court that it was his friend that brought the items to his house.
“Walahi no be get am, na my friend get am,” he told the court.
All the accused persons who were said to hail from Kogi state, are within the age brackets of 20 and 30 years.
Before the charges were read to them yesterday, two of the accused persons told the court that they could only understand ‘pidgin English’.
Meanwhile, attached to the charge dated October 21 and signed by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri, were the proof of evidence, brief summary of the case, list of witnesses, list of exhibits to be tendered in court and affidavit of completion of investigation by the Police.
Counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Nureni Sulyman did not oppose application for their remand in Prison custody, even as the court yesterday fixed November 17 and 24 to commence their trial.
Some of the charges against the accused persons read: “That you Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu and Mohammed Jimoh, Abdulwaheed Nasiru, Abdullahi Nasiru and others [now at large] on or about the 2nd October, 2015 at Kuje town and Jikoyi park, Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court conspired amongst yourselves to carry out a bomb attack by the use of Improvised Explosives Devices being an act punishable under section 17 of Terrorism [prevention] [Amendment] Act, 2013.
“That you Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu and Mohammed Jimoh, Abdulwaheed Nasiru, Abdullahi Nasiru and others [now at large] on or about the 2nd October, 2015 at Jikoyi park, Nyanya in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court did carry out a bomb attack using Improvised Explosives Devices [IED] which resulted in the death of scores of innocent citizens and many others sustained various degree of injuries as well as destroying properties being an act punishable under section 2 [a] of Terrorism [prevention] [Amendment] Act, 2013.
“That you Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu and Mohammed Jimoh, Abdulwaheed Nasiru, Abdullahi Nasiru and others [now at large] on or about the 2nd October, 2015 at Kuje town in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court did carry out a bomb attack using Improvised Explosives Devices [IED] which resulted in the death of scores of innocent citizens and many others sustained various degree of injuries as well as destroying properties being an act punishable under section 2 [a] of Terrorism [prevention] [Amendment] Act, 2013.
“Abdulazeez Muhazab, Ishaka Salihu, Abdulwaheed nasiru, Abdullahi Nasiru and others at large on or about 0300 hrs at Unguwar Ebira, karamajiji area, behind Military Commentary, off Airport Road, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court you were found in possession of items suspected to be used for manufacturing improvised explosives devices [IEDs] namely 27 pieces of detonators, aluminum powder, Hexomine, Hydrogene Peroxide, Sulphur powder, Sodium Azide plus nitrate, Iron 11 Oxide, soldering wire; sugar, PH litimus paper, Sodium carbonate, thermometer, chlorate, Filter paper, strings, Potacium Chlorate, 12 ready-made Improvised Explosives Devices [IED], and full bag of fertilizer and act punishable under section 2 [b] of Terrorism [prevention] [Amendment] Act, 2013.
“That you Mohammed Jimoh and Ishaka Salihu between the month of August and October, 2015 at Unguwar Ebira, karamajiji area, behind Military Commentary, off Airport Road, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court did store and conceal items suspected to be used for manufacturing improvised explosives devices [IEDs] namely 27 pieces of detonators, aluminum powder, Hexomine, Hydrogene Peroxide, Sulphur powder, Sodium Azide plus nitrate, Iron 11 Oxide, soldering wire; sugar, PH litimus paper, Sodium carbonate, thermometer, chlorate, Filter paper, strings, Potacium Chlorate, 12 ready-made Improvised Explosives Devices [IED], and full bag of fertilizer in your apartment an act punishable under section 2 [g] of Terrorism [prevention] [Amendment] Act, 2013”.
