Court rejects terror suspects’ bail applications

Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday rejected the bail application of five suspects in a case of alleged acts of insecurity and terrorism.

The suspects – Olumide Okesola, Emmanuel Olatunji, Adeleke Adewale, Usman Umar, and Lawal Buhari – were arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a 14-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful dealing, and selling of weapons, aiding and abetting of terrorism.

In his ruling, the judge held that the offences filed against the defendants were so serious because they bordered on national security which the court considered highly.

Akpan, who cited various sections of the law to support his decision, said Okesola, Olatunji, Adewale, Umar, and Buhari remained a security risk until the case was concluded.

He added that any attempt to grant them bail was not in the overall interest of the country.

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He said: “An action that poses a great threat to our collective security shall not be taken lightly and this is the stand of the court in refusing the accused persons’ application.

Justice Akpan adjourned the matter till July 1 for continuation of trial.

DSS operatives arrested the suspects sometime in January in Ibadan.

The prosecutor, Mr. T.A. Nurudeen, said the DSS acted on intelligence reports from concerned Nigerians.

The reports, according to him, showed that the defendants were engaged in acts of terrorism by supplying arms and ammunition to terrorist groups.

Nurudeen added that the secret police apprehended the defendants in possession of 1,005 AK47 bullets.

He stressed that the offences contravened section 20 of the anti-terrorism act 2022

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