By TAIYE AGBAJE and WANDOO SOMBO

The Federal Government has moved forward with the prosecution of 500 suspected terrorists as part of an intensified effort to tackle insecurity

Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, said this in on Tuesday while speaking to newsmen shortly after he led a team of the Federal Government’s lawyers to the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja where he appeared as prosecution counsel.

The minister said the 500 defendants are being prosecuted in the ongoing Phase 9 of the mass trial of suspected terrorists in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the mass trial of the suspected terrorists was moved to Abuja from the usual location in Kainji, Niger State.

Speaking, the AGF said the trial, which began on Tuesday, would be concluded between Friday or Saturday.

“For today, we have 227 suspects brought to court on this terrorism charges and they are appearing before 10 judges of the Federal High Court.

“Don’t forget, this is Easter period. Ordinarily, the judges are not supposed to be here; they are supposed to be in their various homes to observe the Easter vacation.

“They have been so patriotic and they have prioritised the trial of terrorism suspects to underscore the importance that is attached to this trial. So we thank them.

“This is Phase 9, don’t forget. For Phase 9, we have 500 in all and it will last till either Friday or Saturday.

“It is hoped that from these 500, we will be able to go very, very far.

“So we thank all the critical stakeholders, including of course you, members of the fourth estate of the realm, for considering the service to the nation first and foregoing your Easter period,” he said.

On why the trial was moved from Kainji to Abuja, the minister said it was due to logistic purpose.

“Whether the cases are tried in Kainji or Maiduguri, those to try terrorism suspects are judges of the Federal High Court.

“For logistic purpose, it is not convenient to go to Kainji, although the same judges would have been ferried to Kainji.

“But it is more convenient here; we have more courtrooms here and the facilities, and for 10 judges at a time, you know what it means. It means a lot.

“That’s why we brought these ones here. We have an enablement in terms of law to sit here and that is why we are sitting here,” he said.

Fagbemi said Amnesty International, tur media, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), members of the human rights community, etc, are in attendance to show that the proceedings are undergoing due process.

According to the minister, nobody will be convicted unless he has satisfied the provisions of the law.

“And that is why we are here. It is in the open; it is not a secret trial.

“You will see where confessions are made, where proof is given. Everything I’d in the public space and you can see things for yourself.

“What has taken the Director General of the Legal Aid Council to also forgo his holiday this period is also appreciated.

“We have the full complement of the Federal Ministry of Justice, especially the Public Prosecution Department ably led by the Director of Public Prosecutions Department of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo,” he said.

Also speaking, the DG, Legal Aid Council, who led the defence team, expressed satisfaction with the trial.

He said the terrorism trial was made a little easy because majority of the suspects admit to committing the crime.

“This has been our experience over the years and today’s trial is not different. Majority of them admit to committing the crime.

“A large number of them are also been convicted for association with Boko Haram.

“Some of them are not active participants in the Boko Haram or ISWAP activities as the case may be.

“They are being convicted as you are all aware under the law, because association is as grievous as committing an offence.

“Happily, I can say one or two suspects have been discharged and acquitted.

“You can imagine for somebody who have been in detention for four, five years under the military custody to be discharged and acquitted, showed that the trial has some levels of transparency,” he said.

Abubakar also said that as defence lawyers, they were given the facility to interact with the suspects before being brought to court.

According to him, it is a pre-requisite of the law.

He said pre-trial interviews were conducted for the defendants in Maiduguri and Kainji and his team was able to interact with those who were newly brought in on Monday before today’s trial. (NAN)

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