BOKO HARAM LEADER'S DEATH: JUDGE ASKS COUNSEL TO ADDRESS COURT ON JURISDICTION

The trial of five policemen alleged to have participated in the extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf and his followers in Maiduguri in July 2009, yesterday did not continue as slated.

Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Abuja Federal High Court, on his own,  asked parties in the suit to return on June 25 to address the court on whether it has jurisdiction to try the accused persons.

The accused persons are ACP J. B Abang, ACP Akeera, ASP Mada Buba, CSP Mohammed Ahmadu and Sgt. Adamu Gado.

Yesterday was meant for prosecution to present its last witness, but the court said the issue of jurisdiction must be determined first.

So far, about three prosecution witnesses have testified. The first witness, Colonel Benjamin Ahanotu, had told the court that Yusuf was alive when he was captured by the army and handed over to the police.

Ahanotu, who was at that time serving as Chief of Staff 21 Brigade Maiduguri, said  Yusuf was handed over to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) J. B Abang, one of the accused persons, who went to the Brigade Headquarters in company of other policemen to pick up the sect leader after interrogation was concluded.

Another witness, ASP Aminu Yusuf (rtd), said on July 31, 2009, he participated in the evacuation of corpses at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where he heard a rumor that the body of Mohammed Yusuf was amongst those deposited at the mortuary.

He said he did not know Yusuf in person and he had no idea who killed the persons whose bodies were evacuated.