Abuja - The arraignment of an alleged Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Umar, aka Kabiru Sokoto at the Federal High Court on Wednesday in Abuja was stalled due to absence of a defence counsel.
The judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, held that the time was not ripe for the suspect to take his plea.
“The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Auta Ibrahim has instructed that these kinds of matters are handled with dispatch.
“The court is ready to go on but for the negligence on the part of the prosecution not to do the needful.
“In the light of the above, the suspect shall return to the court on April 19 to take his plea.
“The prosecution is mandated to file and serve the suspect with the statement of evidence seven days before the new date of arraignment.
“The prosecution is ordered to prepare trial indictment and evidence and serve same on the suspect.
“A written case summons should be served on both the court and the suspect.
“The prosecution should also specify whether it has further evidence to produce. The following documents will properly guide the management of the case.
“The suspect is to be remanded in the custody of the State Security
Service (SSS),’’ he said.
The suspect had prayed the court to avail him two weeks to seek the services of a lawyer.
He further told the court that an operative of the SSS only informed him about the arraignment in the morning of the day he was to be taken to court.
The charges alleged that the suspect, a member of an illegal terrorist group known as Boko Haram between 2007 and 2012 at Mabira Sokoto, Sokoto State, facilitated the execution of a terrorist act.
According to the charge, the suspect thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004.
The charge further alleged that `Kabiru Sokoto’ on or about Dec.25, 2011 at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State had information about the bombing of the Church but failed to disclose it to law enforcement officer.
The charge further alleged that the suspect about July 2011 at Abaji, supported the act of terrorism by training about 500 men and inciting them to commit a terrorist act.
The charge said that the suspect committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) (a) of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011and punishable under Section 33(1) (b) of the same Act.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the spokesman of the SSS, Mrs Marilyn Ogar on Feb.10, 2012 told newsmen in Abuja that Kabiru Sokoto, was arrested at Mutum in Gassol Local Government
Area of Taraba.
She said that the suspect was first arrested on Jan. 1, 2012 by the police but escaped from custody two days later when he was being taken to his residence at Abaji in the FCT for a search.
Ogar said that he was re-arrested in a joint military-SSS operation at a hideout.
The spokesperson said that Kabiru Sokoto was picked up from where he was hiding in clothes rack at the residence of an accomplice.
She said that on his escape `Kabiru Sokoto’ had taken refuge at Umaisha in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State before he fled to Taraba where he was eventually re-arrested.
Ogar said that the 29-year-old suspect was born to the family of Umaru Jabbi of Gagi village in Sokoto South Local Government Area on May 9, 1983.
She explained that upon the death of his father, the suspect’s uncle, Abubakar Dikko, adopted him.
The spokesperson said that the suspect, who completed his secondary education in 2003, was admitted to the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Sokoto and described him as a “truant with extremist
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