Nyanya Bombings: Prosecution Counsel Aborts Ogwuche's Trial
An application to modify the partial secret trial of the alleged master-mind of Nyanya bombing, Aminu Ogwuche and others to completely shield prosecution witnesses, on Wednesday, stalled trial.
Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, Ahmed Abubakar, Mohammed Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu (alias Kofar Rama); Anas Isa, Adamu Yusuf and Nasir Abubakar are facing terrorism charges and the prosecution team was to call their witnesses.
At the resumed trial, a representative of the prosecution counsel, told the court he had a motion dated and filed on April 9, seeking to modify the order of the court made on March 18, 2015.
Specifically, the federal government wants the court to direct the use of screens to shield the prosecution witnesses to protect them from public view, but also to allow only the lead counsel to the accused person access to view the facial identities of the prosecution witnesses.
Secondly, it wants the court to permit the prosecution witnesses protected access to the court room through a non-public route.
In a five paragraphs affidavit in support of the motion the deponent stated that failure to grant it would affect the witnesses’ willingness to sacrifice and give evidence for fear of their lives.
However, the defense counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), and five other counsel said they were served with the motion in court, on Wednesday, and it was not yet time for hearing.
Raji said that prosecution counsel deliberately served the motion on the defence counsel in court in order to abort proceedings.
The defence counsel also said that the application was in bad faith, considering that it had been filed since April 9, but only served on the defence counsel on the date of hearing. He urged the court to discountenance the prosecution motion and proceed with the trial.
In his ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned till May 11, 2015, to hear the motion.
