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Nigeria begins trial of suspected terrorists linked to Bello Turji
The Federal Government will arraign five suspected terrorists linked to the notorious terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji, at the Federal High Court, in Abuja, later on Monday.
The suspects will be arraigned by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) before a vacation judge, Justice Emeka Nwite.
They were brought to court last Friday for the commencement of trial.
But the judge did not take their plea because no lawyer appeared for them.
The AGF’s lawyer, David Kaswe, sought a short adjournment to enable the defendants to engage counsel of their choice and Justice Nwite fixed Monday for their arraignment.
READ ALSO: Matawalle boasts Nigeria is now free of Lakurawa terrorists
The government had filed an 11-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/633/2024 against the eight defendants, three of whom are at large.
In the charge filed on December 16 by M.B. Abubakar, the Director of the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Musa Kamarawa; Abubakar Hashimu aka Doctor, Bashir Abdullahi; Samuel Chinedu and Lucky Chukwuma were listed as defendants respectively.
Bello Turji, Aminu Muhammad, and Sani Lawal, who are all at large, are the remaining defendants.
The government alleged that the defendants provided material services to terrorist groups by supplying illicit drugs, including penta injections and cannabis plants (aka Indian hemp), food items, and military and police uniforms, among others.
They were also accused of providing bags of cement, covered zinc, and bags of nails to terrorist camps in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kaduna States.
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