Taiwo Popoola
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed bail applications filed by four terrorism suspects linked to wanted notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji.
The judge on Friday turned down the bail request of the suspects on the ground that the charges against them were severe.
Ruling on the bail applications, Justice Nwite held that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has established that the characters of the offences allegedly committed by the four suspects are very strong.
The judge also held that the likelihood of tampering with evidence, witnesses, and further committing more offences were carefully established against them.
The suspects denied bail are Musa Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu aka Doctor, Samuel Chinedu and Lucky Chukwuma, who were alleged to have aided and abetted the bandit group being led by Bello Turjil.
The Federal Government had slammed 11 counts of terrorism charges against them, which they denied.
Justice Nwite had on December 23, 2024, remanded them in Kuje prison pending the completion of their trial.
In count one, Musa Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu, aka Doctor, Bashir Abdullahi, Samuel Chinedu, Lucky Chukwuma, Bello Turji (at large), Aminu Muhammad (at large) and Sani Lawal (at large) were alleged to have sometime between 2018 and 2022 in Sokoto State conspired among themselves to commit the terror act.
They were alleged to have provided material services to terrorist groups led by Turji, Kachalla Halilu, Danbokolo, Lawali, Atarwatse, Buderi and others, by procuring and supplying illicit drugs, including penta injections and cannabis plants (aka indian hemp), food items, military and police uniforms, and camouflage.
They were also alleged to have supplied boots, caps and building materials, including bags of cement, cover zinc, bags of nails, M.M. iron rod, etc, to terrorist camps in the forests located in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna states.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
In count four, Kamarawa, Muhammad (at large) and Lawal (at large), sometime in 2021 in Sokoto State, allegedly aided and abetted the commission of acts of terrorism by acquiring a military gun truck from Libya and supplying same to a terrorist, Kachalla Halilu, at a cost of approximately N28.5 million (28,500,000).
They were alleged to have paid for the gun truck partly in cash and partly via electronic transfer.
The offence, the Federal Government said, is contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
The Federal Government through the Office of the AGF, had filed the 11-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/633/2024 against eight defendants, four of who were said to be at large.
