A federal court sitting in Abuja has freed the suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb attack in Abuja Aminu Oguche. The court struck out a two-count terrorism charge against Ogwuche, after months of trial for the April 2014 attack which killed more than 70 people. The court hinged its decision on lack of diligent prosecution by the state. A former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, on Tuesday slammed both the police and the Department of State Security for bungling the prosecution of the Nyanya blast suspect, Aminu Ogwuche. He said, “The dismissal of the case against Nyanya bomb blast suspect, on the grounds of rivalry between the police and the DSS is counterproductive and raises so many fundamental questions, which the authorities need to look into. What is your reaction to Mustapha Tsav’s allegation that the quarrel between the police and DSS bungled the case of the Nyayna Blast suspect and what does it say about our security agency on investigations of criminal cases? A former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, on Tuesday slammed both the police and the Department of State Security for bungling the prosecution of the Nyanya blast suspect, Aminu Ogwuche. A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday struck out terrorism charges against Ogwuche, citing lack of diligence on the part of the prosecutors. The suspect had been repatriated from Sudan to face charges in respect of the Nyanya bombing of April 14, in which over 75 persons were killed in the Abuja suburb. Tsav, who spoke in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, noted that the 1999 Constitution gave the Nigeria Police the power to investigate and prosecute criminal cases while the role of the DSS was to operate as the agency behind the mask. He said the DSS was expected to support the police with evidence and useful information necessary to prove criminal cases against suspects while the identities of the government’s secret service agents remained concealed. He said, “The dismissal of the case against Nyanya bomb blast suspect, Aminu Ogwuche, by an Abuja High Court on the grounds of rivalry between the police and the DSS raises so many fundamental questions, which the authorities need to look into. “This is what is happening in our security agencies. And what is responsible for this unnecessary rivalry? The fight for supremacy rather than inter- service cooperation for the overall benefit of the country is counter-productive. Could this be propelled by corruption or could it be likened to the fight of two wives married to the same husband with each trying to outplay the other to win the husband’s love?” Tsav stressed that for the purpose of efficiency and successful handling of criminal cases, the DSS should be directed to continue to act as men behind the mask and as informers to the police in major criminal cases. According to him, the investigation of criminal cases by the police is more in line with the rule of law than what happens elsewhere. “That is what we met in the police and that is what we were taught and that is what we practiced during the good old days,” he said. Meanwhile, Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu on Tuesday described insurgency in parts of the country as a temporary setback for the nation. He said that terrorism would soon fizzle out. Aliyu said this in Minna, the Niger State capital, when he received in audience the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Asraf Salama, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House. “What is happening in parts of Nigeria is temporary destabilisation; it should be an ingredient for our development,” he told the Egyptian envoy. He therefore charged Egypt ‘to do more’ for the people of the world and Nigeria in particular in trying to arrest the scourge of insurgence in every part of the world. The governor blamed the crises in several parts of the world on lack of full knowledge of the two major religions-Islam and Christianity. “We are supposed to be shining examples for others to follow; there is no compulsion in religion, it is our behaviour that will win souls for our religions, not violence,” he said. Nyanya Blast: Court frees alleged bomber, says state lacks diligent prosecution November 24, 2014 | Filed under: Featured,News Update | Posted by: nigeriapoliticsonline • • • • • • • • A federal High Court in Abuja on Monday freed Aminu Oguche, the suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb attack in Abuja. The two count charge was struck out by Justice Adeniyi Ademola for want of diligent prosecution by the Inspector-General of Police and his prosecutors. Nigeria Politics Online gathered that the court hinged its decision on lack of diligent prosecution by the state. Ogwuche is asking the court to compel the Attorney General of the federation and the SSS to either charge him to court if he has any case to answer or set him free. He contend that section 35 of the 1999 constitution is being violated by his continued detention since July 15 without charge. The suspect was produced in court today in compliance with an earlier order of the court. However, the suspect was not discharged as he is been detained by the department of State Security Service SSS, as the hearing of his case is adjourned till 5th December. It will be recalled that Ogwuche, a suspected Boko Haram member, was accused by the Nigerian government of being behind the blast at the Nyanya Motor Park which occurred April 14, during morning peak hours when residents were hurrying to work. Consequently, it was believed that Ogwuche fled to Sudan after coordinating the attack, but was later repatriated to Nigeria to face charges. On his return the Department of State Service got a court order to remand him in their custody for further investigation. Its been more than the 90 days requested by the department of state services and it has been unable to arraign the suspect . According to the prosecution, the DSS is still drafting charges against the suspect and will arraign him at the appropriate time. This decision was opposed by the accused who has filed a case alleging the violation of his fundamental rights.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 07:32:05 +0000
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