Trial proceedings in the Bodija bomb blast case will resume on March 3 and 4, following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
Justice Nkeonye Maha adjourned the matter on Thursday after both the prosecution and one defence counsel failed to appear in court. The bombing, which rocked the Bodija area of Ibadan, reportedly left 14 people dead, injured several others and destroyed properties.
Counsel representing the first and second defendants, Adewale Adedeji, told the court that the prosecuting counsel, Victor Alma, was absent due to a family bereavement, while the lawyer to the third defendant, Mohammed Kyri, was also not in attendance.
The case had earlier been delayed by a legal tussle over who should prosecute it. The Oyo State Ministry of Justice sought to take over the matter, but the Federal Ministry of Justice objected. In a ruling delivered on February 24, 2025, the court held that terrorism-related cases fall solely under the authority of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The three defendants, Camara, Malik and Samasa, all Malian nationals, pleaded not guilty in March 2024 to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, stockpiling radioactive materials and deploying biological agents.
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