The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to re-arraign five men accused of involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, as well as the subsequent killing of two of the victims.
The suspects are expected to appear before Justice Salim Ibrahim on Thursday, September 17, following the postponement of their initial re-arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, September 16.
The five accused persons — Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, aka Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, aka Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, aka Abu Itisar — are alleged to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group.
They are facing a six-count amended charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The re-arraignment was stalled after the accused persons insisted on being represented by lawyers of their choice. A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five suspects when the first accused, Muhammad, objected.
Speaking on behalf of the others, Muhammad told the court that they had previously been represented by a lawyer identified as Bala Dakum and wanted him to continue handling their case.
Oyedepo subsequently told the court that the choice of legal representation was a constitutional right that should be respected. He added that the DSS, as a law-abiding agency, was not interested in persecuting the accused but in ensuring that justice was served.
Justice Ibrahim consequently adjourned the matter to Thursday, September 17, for the re-arraignment.
The judge directed the accused persons to contact their lawyer and ensure his presence in court on the adjourned date. He also ordered the DSS to grant the suspects access to their lawyer to enable them adequately prepare their defence.
