Suleja bombings: Court sets Feb 11 to rule on no case submission

Category: News Published on Thursday, 07 February 2013 05:00

A Court in Abuja has fixed February 11 to decide whether or not it will declare a no case submission in the case of six persons standing trial before it for allegedly participating in bombings which occurred 2011 in Suleja, Niger State.

Justice Bilkisu Aliyu of the Federal High Court adjourned after counsel to the accused persons, Nuraini Sulaiman and Kevin Emeka Okoro, told the court that prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against their clients.

They argued that no evidence was placed before the court to link the accused persons to the offences allegedly committed.

Opposing the application, Prosecuting counsel Thompson Olatigbe argued that prosecution has succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against the accused persons.

Moreover, he said, prosecution has adduced evidence which were not discredited during cross examination.

He said all of the evidence placed before the court are reliable enough for a safe conviction of the accused persons.

Olatigbe urged the court to rule in favour of the prosecution and call on the accused persons to enter their defense.

Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adamu and Umar Ibrahim were charged on five counts of terrorism.

They are alleged to have caused the death of several persons through the use of improvised explosives at a political rally and at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Suleja and Dakna village in Bwari.

It will be recalled that in the cause of proceedings two hundred pieces of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and a black Honda Civic with registration number AG 94 NMG were admitted in evidence.

The IED’s were said to have been found in the car which was recovered from three of the suspects who were arrested in Kaduna State.