COURT FREES THREE ALLEGED BOKO HARAM SUSPECTS *** Varsity on Knows Fate Jan 28. Three alleged Boko Haram terrorism suspects arrested in Kogi State last year by the department of the State Security Services (SSS) were yesterday set free. The suspects were allowed to go home yesterday on the order of a federal high court after they had spent about four months in detention. They are Mustapha Yusuf also known as Habeeb, Ismaila Abdulazeez and Ibrahim Isa Hayafu who were apprehended by operatives of the SSS in different locations of Kogi State. Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered the SSS to immediately set them free when counsel to the service Mr. Cliff Osagie informed the court that detail investigation did not indict them. He told the Judge that the three men were not in any way connected with terrorism activities and that the court was at liberty to order their freedom. Justice Kolawole who was angry by the failure of the SSS to free the suspects since completion of their investigation late year ordered that the men be allowed to walk straight from the court to their various homes as free citizens. However, a Senior lecturer with Kogi State University Dr Nofeez Yunus will know his fate along with two others next week Tuesday (Jan. 28) when the Judge will determine their application seeking court order to compel the SSS to either charge them for the alleged terrorism case or set them free. Counsel to the lecturer Malam Hassan Liman SAN had approached the court with an application seeking to enforce the fundamental rights of the detained Boko Haram suspect. Liman SAN in his motion argued that the SSS have no power to detain any Nigerian endlessly. The counsel said that the suspect had been in the custody of the SSS since October last year when he was apprehended along with others and dumped into the cell. Liman also drew the attention of the court to an order made on January 13 this year against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice that the suspect be arraigned in court on or before yesterday and noted that order had not been compelled with. Attempt by SSS counsel Mr. Cliff Osagie to move an ex-parte motion for extension of detention of the lecturer was vehemently opposed by Liman on the ground that the earlier order of the court had not been obeyed. In the same vein, the application for the enforcement of rights of the lecturer could not be moved as the second suspect Umar Musa asked the court to grant him one day adjournment to engage the services of lawyer of his choice. Justice Kolawole adjourned the motion till January 28 and asked the AGF to comply with the earlier order that lecturer be arraigned in court if indicted for terror activities in the SSS investigation.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:19:11 +0000
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