Trial Of Nyanyan Bombing Suspects Stalled

A motion filed by the Federal Government to modify the partial secret trial of the alleged mastermind of Nyanya bombing, Aminu Ogwuche, and others to completely shield prosecution witnesses on Wednesday stalled trial of the suspects. Ogwuche, Ahmed Abubakar, Mohammed Ishaq, Ya’u Saidu (alias Kofar Rama); Anas Isa, Adamu Yusuf and Nasir Abubakar are facing terrorism charges before Jutice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The full trial in the case was supposed to start on Wednesday but when the case was called, a representative of the prosecution counsel, M. Ogunsina, 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. Ogunsina also told the court to permit the prosecution witnesses protected access to the court room through a non public route. In a five-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, the deponent stated that failure to grant it will affect the witnesses’s willingness to sacrifice and give evidence for fear of their lives. However, the defence Counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), and five other counsel said they were served with the motion in court on Wednesday and it was not ripe for hearing. Raji said the prosecution counsel deliberately served the motion on the defence counsel in court in order to abort proceedings. In his ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned till May 11, 2015 to hear the motion.