- Terrorism Charges: Court Orders Six Suspects Held by DSS
- The hearing was briefly interrupted after the third defendant said his lawyer was indisposed
- The trial judge granted an expedited hearing, ordered the remand of the defendants in DSS custody with access to their lawyers
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.
Eko Hot Blog reports that at the commencement of proceedings around 1:46 p.m., the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, informed the court that the charge was ready and sought permission for it to be read to the defendants.
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The hearing was briefly interrupted after the third defendant said his lawyer was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant noted that his client only understood Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to arrange for an interpreter.
When proceedings resumed at about 2:18 p.m., all six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution urged the court to remand the defendants in DSS custody and requested an accelerated hearing of the case.
The request was largely unopposed, although counsel to the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.
In his ruling, the trial judge granted an expedited hearing, ordered the remand of the defendants in DSS custody with access to their lawyers, and adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
