A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday admitted three video clips tendered by the Department of State Services (DSS) in the ongoing trial-within-trial of five men accused of orchestrating the 2011 bombing of the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite admitted the videos as evidence after DSS lawyers argued that they would help disprove claims by the defendants that their extra-judicial statements were extracted under duress. The judge subsequently fixed December 5 for the continuation of the trial-within-trial and the playback of additional video recordings.

The defendants, Khalid Al-Barnawi, Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (alias Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (alias Bello Maishayi), are accused of masterminding the August 26, 2011 suicide bombing that killed at least 20 people and injured more than 70 others at the UN complex.

Al-Barnawi, a prominent Boko Haram commander arrested in 2016, and his co-accused have long denied voluntarily making the statements attributed to them by the DSS, insisting they were coerced, beaten, and subjected to inhumane treatment during interrogation.

The trial, which has suffered multiple delays due to procedural lapses and lack of legal representation for the suspects at various times, gained momentum recently after the DSS requested an accelerated hearing, a request Justice Nwite granted.

Following the playback of the first defendant?s video, the judge adjourned to December 5 for the review of the remaining recordings.

Earlier on Friday, Justice Nwite also admitted the extra-judicial statements of three other defendants, Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa and Adam Sulaiman, who are standing trial on charges of espionage for allegedly spying on US and Israeli interests in Nigeria on behalf of individuals linked to Iran.

The case, which began in 2014 and has been reassigned to several judges over the years, reached a critical point in August 2025 when a trial-within-trial was ordered to determine whether the defendants? statements were voluntary.

While the accused persons insisted they were intimidated and forced to sign the documents, prosecutors argued that the statements were freely made, noting that the suspects read through the cautionary words and signed without pressure.

Three prosecution witnesses testified that the DSS followed established procedures, ensured the detainees? welfare, and allowed access to their families. The defendants, however, maintained allegations of torture and harassment.

After reviewing testimonies from both sides, Justice Nwite ruled that the prosecution had successfully established that the statements were not obtained under coercion. He admitted them as exhibits and adjourned the substantive hearing to January 22, 2026. (Daily Trust)

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