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Thursday, 16 April 2015

Nyanya Bombings: FG’s Request Stalls Trial Of Ogwuche, Others


A motion filed by the federal government to modify the partial secret trial of the alleged mastermind of Nyanya bombing, Aminu Ogwuche and others to completely shield prosecution witnesses yesterday stalled trial of the suspects.

Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, Ahmed Abubakar, Mohammed Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu (alias Kofar Rama); Anas Isa, Adamu Yusuf and Nasir Abubakar are facing terrorism charges before Jutice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The full trial in the case was supposed to start yesterday but when the case was called, a representative of the prosecution counsel, M. Ogunsina, told the court he had a motion dated and filed on April 9, seeking to modify the order of the court made on March 18, 2015.

In the motion, the federal government wants the court to direct the use of screens to shield the prosecution witnesses to protect them from public view but to allow only the lead counsel to the accused person access to view the facial identities of the prosecution witnesses.

He also told the court to permit the prosecution witnesses protected access to the court room through a non-public route.

In a five paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, the deponent stated that failure to grant it will affect the witnesses willingness to sacrifice and give evidence for fear of their lives.

However, the defence counsel Ahmed Raji (SAN) and five other counsels said they were served with the motion in court yesterday and it was not ripe for hearing.

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