The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, suspended trial on terrorism charges against Senator Mohammed Ndume.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole said that the suspension was predicated upon a motion seeking the quashing of the charges filed by the accused person.
“The definite trial of this case is slated to commence today but in view of the application to quash the charges by the accused, we cannot go on,” he said. “The application must be taken first.”
At the resumed hearing, Nganjuwa Hyelzria, who represented Rickey Tarfa (SAN), counsel to the accused person, told the court about the application he had filed on the instruction of his client; adding that the motion was questioning the correctness of all the issues raised in the charges against him.
According to him, the charges are speculative as he (Ndume) neither carried out nor sponsored any terrorist acts.
Olufumilayo Fatunde, the prosecution counsel, however, said that she had not been served the process, adding that the accused was using a delay tactic with a mere announcement of a motion to quash the charges.
“My lord, as for us such motion has not been filed because it has not reached us, and therefore, I urge the court to overlook that and go to trial,” she said. “Section 124 of the Evidence Act has described the offence the applicant is charged with as notorious, so justice must be served fast in accordance with the accelerated hearing ordered by the court on December 19.”
The State Security Service (SSS), on December 12, 2011, arraigned Ndume in the court on a four-court charge of having links with the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
The matter was adjourned to April 26.
- Culled from PM News, Nigeria.