A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the Department of State Services, DSS, permission to accelerate the trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, the suspected mastermind of the August 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, along with four co-defendants.
The bombing, which occurred on August 26, 2011, was the first major attack on an international organization in Nigeria. A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the UN compound in Abuja, killing more than 20 people and leaving over 70 others injured.
The assault shocked the international community and highlighted the growing threat of Boko Haram and its affiliates at the time.
Al-Barnawi, once a prominent figure within the Boko Haram insurgency, was arrested by the DSS in April 2016 in Lokoja, Kogi State, after years on the run. His trial began soon after but has since been hampered by a series of legal and administrative delays.
On Friday, DSS counsel Alex Iziyon (SAN) urged the court to allow the Service to move proceedings forward without further delay. He argued that the Service was fully prepared to ensure that the matter was prosecuted in a timely and efficient manner.
The application, which sought an accelerated hearing, was not opposed by the defense counsels representing the accused.
One of the key elements in the prosecution’s case involves the admissibility of confessional statements allegedly made by the defendants. Some of the accused had previously claimed that their statements were obtained under duress.
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To counter this, the DSS sought and obtained approval to present video recordings of the sessions in which the statements were made.
Justice granted the request and ordered that the video clips be played in court in the presence of the registrar and all parties involved. The recordings, once viewed, will allow counsels to take notes, after which the case will proceed to trial within trial sessions on October 23 and 24.
Al-Barnawi, also known by multiple aliases including Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda, and Alhaji Tanimu, is alleged to have played a founding role in Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad, the group widely known as Boko Haram.
He later emerged as the leader of a splinter faction, Jama’at Ansarul Muslimim Fi Biladi Sudan, which carried out kidnappings and targeted attacks against Western interests in Nigeria.
His trial is considered one of the most significant terrorism prosecutions in Nigeria since the insurgency escalated in the early 2010s.
The outcome will not only test the strength of Nigeria’s counterterrorism laws but also demonstrate how effectively the justice system can handle cases with both national and international implications.
With the court now allowing the DSS to accelerate the proceedings, there is renewed hope that the long-delayed case will finally move toward resolution.
All eyes will be on the October hearings as the court examines the critical video evidence and determines the credibility of the confessional statements at the heart of the trial.
Crediblenewsng.com
