A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the Department of State Services (DSS) approval to accelerate the trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, a terror suspect, and four alleged accomplices accused of masterminding the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja.
News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the matter, delivered the ruling on Friday following an application by the DSS, represented by its lead counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN). The request, which sought to fast-track proceedings in the long-drawn trial, was not opposed by defence lawyers.
The August 2011 suicide bombing marked Nigeria’s first major terror attack on an international organisation’s facility, killing over 20 people and injuring more than 70 others.
The attack shocked the world and drew widespread condemnation from the UN and foreign governments.
Al-Barnawi, who is also known by multiple aliases including Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda and Alhaji Tanimu, was captured by DSS operatives in Lokoja, Kogi State, in April 2016 after a five-year manhunt.
Justice Nwite’s ruling now clears the way for video evidence tendered by the DSS to be played before the court. The videos are expected to demonstrate that the defendants’ confessional statements were made voluntarily.
The defendants had earlier alleged that their statements were obtained under duress, prompting the court to conduct a trial-within-trial to establish the admissibility of the evidence.
“The court registrar and all parties will be present while the video recordings are played,” Justice Nwite ordered. “Parties are to take notes and the trial will continue on October 23 and 24.”
Arguing for the application, Izinyon stated that the DSS was fully prepared to prosecute the matter expeditiously. “The interest of justice requires that this case, which has lingered for years, be determined without further delay,” he said.
Although the trial officially began shortly after Al-Barnawi’s arrest in 2016, progress has been stalled by several legal and administrative challenges.
Al-Barnawi is believed to have been one of the founding members of Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid Da’wah Wa’l-Jihad, the Boko Haram Islamist terror group, before later becoming the leader (Amir) of its splinter faction, Jama’at Ansarul Muslimim Fi Biladi Sudan (JAMBS), which has been linked to multiple high-profile kidnappings and attacks across northern Nigeria.
With the court’s approval for an accelerated hearing, proceedings will resume on October 23 and 24, when the video evidence will be reviewed and the trial-within-trial concluded before the main trial resumes.
The case is seen as a critical step in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and justice for the victims of one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history.