Lack of exhibits delays hearing on UN house bombing

By The Citizen

Justice Gladys Olotu, yesterday, adjourned the case till October 9 and 10on the terrorism charge that was entered against four alleged masterminds of the suicide bomb attack that destroyed the United Nations, UN, headquarters in Abuja on August 20, 2011

This follows the inability of the prosecuting team, led by the Federal Ministry of Justice, to produce requisite exhibits before the court.

The accused persons, Salisu Mohammed, Inusa Mukailu, Danzumi Haruna and Abdulsalami Adamu, were said to have perfected the terrorist act which killed 23 persons and wounded 75 others.

Among those affected by the explosion were UN staff, visitors and workers of private businesses within the building.

Meantime, Though the accused persons, who are answering to a four-counts terrorism charge, were arrested in September 2012 and charged before an Abuja Magistrates court, they were subsequently re-arraigned before the High Court on May 7, this year.

According to the government, the offence they allegedly committed ran contrary to Section 96(a) of the Penal Code Law. They were specifically alleged to have knowingly facilitated the activities of persons engaged in an act of terrorism.

Besides, the accused persons were alleged to have deliberately and maliciously committed an act that seriously damaged an international organisation, thereby resulting to the contravention of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

The Federal Government maintained that the accused persons were involved in the release of dangerous substances that caused explosion endangering 23 lives at the UN building, an offence contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

However, the accused persons have since pleaded not guilty to the charge.

They insisted that they could not understand English Language, a situation that led the court to invite an interpreter to translate the charge to them in Hausa language.