Court remands 7 B/Haram commanders to Kuje prison
A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded seven suspected Boko Haram leaders alleged to have been involved in the killing of 11 foreigners in northern Nigeria between 2011 and 2013 to Kuje Prison pending trial.
Justice John Tsoho ordered the remand following their arraignment on an eleven count charges of terrorism, which they pleaded not guilty.
They accused are; Mohammed Usman (aka Khalid Albarnawi), described as the leader of a Boko Haram splinter group, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (a.k.a ANSARU); Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Bello (aka Abu Azzan); Mohammed Salisu (Datti); Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi), Usman Abubakar (Mugiratu) and a lady, Halima Aliyu.
They are charged with conspiracy, hostage taking, supporting a terrorist group, membership of a terrorist group, illegal possession of firearms and concealing information on terrorism.
The offences are contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011, as amended in 2013, and punishable under same.
The defendants are also accused of murdering, “Internationally Protected Persons (IPPs)”, contrary to Section (3) (a) of Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 as amended in 2013 and punishable under same.
According to the charge filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the defendants, on February 2013 at Ikirima Boko Haram Camp in Sambisa Forest, allegedly “murdered seven IPPs - Carlos Bou Azziz, Brendan Vaughan, Silvano Trevisan, Konstantinos Karras, Ghaida Yaser Sa’ad (F), Julio Ibrahim El-Khouli and Imad El-Andari and buried the bodies in a shallow grave.
The defendants were alleged to have, on February 18, 2013, at Life Camp Yard of SETRACO Construction Company in Jama’are, Bauchi State, “did knowingly seize and continue to detain” the seven expatriates, “at Ikirima Boko Haram camp in Sambisa Forest for about 10 days before their eventual murder.”
The Federal Government alleged that firearms were recovered from Mohammed Usman’s house at Rafin Guza, NDC layout, Kaduna State in 2016, adding that other arms such as: five AK-47 rifles (serial numbers 75582, 439106, 4483, 53964 and 3792); an unserviceable AK-47 rifle (serial number destroyed); nine detached bullets of assault rifles; one locallymade revolver; two locally-made single barrel pistols; two locally-made double barrel pistols; one locallymade incomplete short gun and three working parts of assault rifles were also recovered from them.
Prosecution counsel Shuiabu Labaran made an undertaking that the authorities will grant the defendants access to their family members after defence counsels, Abdulkareem and S. M Attah complained to the court that they were denied access to their family members during their detention at the DSS facility in Abuja.
The court then adjourned the matter till April 11, 2017 to commence trial.