The Department of State Services (DSS) has attributed the prolonged delay in prosecuting suspects linked to the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja to a series of legal and procedural challenges.
Favour Dozie, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications at the DSS, disclosed this in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja.
He confirmed that the five suspects arrested in 2016 in connection with the attack—which claimed 20 lives and injured more than 70—remain on trial before the Federal High Court.
Dozie explained that the case has stalled repeatedly due to procedural setbacks, including instances where the defendants were presented in court without legal representation.
“The DSS recently requested an accelerated hearing, and Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request,” he said. “On October 23 and 24, a trial-within-trial was held during which videos of the defendants’ confessional statements were played in open court.”
Fresh Terrorism Trials Resume November 19
The agency also announced that Justice Nwite is scheduled to resume the trial of two internationally wanted terrorism suspects on November 19.
The duo were arrested in July during a high-risk, intelligence-led counterterrorism operation following months of surveillance.
According to Dozie, the suspects are believed to be senior figures in Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
“One of the men, who refers to himself as the Emir of ANSARU, allegedly coordinated multiple terrorist sleeper cells across the country and masterminded a string of kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund extremist operations,” he said.
“The second suspect, his deputy and chief of staff, reportedly led the ‘Mahmudawa’ cell operating around Kainji National Park along the Niger–Kwara–Benin Republic corridor.”
Dozie added that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) earlier revealed that one of the suspects received advanced training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Both suspects are currently facing a 32-count terrorism charge, including illegal mining, to which one of them has already pleaded guilty.
Update on Owo Church Massacre Case
The DSS spokesperson further disclosed that on August 11, five men were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The assault left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 injured.
The defendants face a nine-count terrorism charge, including allegations of belonging to an Al Shabab-linked cell in Kogi State and carrying out the attack in furtherance of extremist religious ideology.
About the Author
