THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services following their arraignment on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.
News Point Nigeria reports that at the court session, which commenced at about 1:46 pm, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charge was ready and sought permission for it to be read to the defendants.
Notably, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, was absent during the arraignment.
Proceedings were briefly stalled when the third defendant notified the court that his counsel was indisposed. In a related development, counsel to the sixth defendant informed the court that his client understood only Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to allow for the provision of an interpreter.
When proceedings resumed at about 2:18 pm, all six defendants entered their pleas, denying the allegations and pleading not guilty to all 13 counts preferred against them.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for the defendants to be remanded in DSS custody and also urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case. The request was not opposed by most defence counsel, although the lawyer to the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.
In his ruling, the trial judge granted the request for an accelerated hearing, ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their legal representatives, and adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
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