The Federal Government has commenced the mass trial of suspected terrorists at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with proceedings temporarily relocated from Kainji in Niger State.
The shift to Abuja is due to the court’s Easter vacation, which began on April 7 and is scheduled to end on April 13. Regular sittings across all divisions are expected to resume on April 14. To avoid delays during the break, terrorism-related cases were reassigned to Abuja for continuous hearing.
At least 13 courtrooms within the Federal High Court in Abuja are currently handling various terrorism cases. Judges presiding over the matters include Justices Binta Nyako, Emeka Nwite, Musa Liman, and Akpan Ekerete, among others.
During Tuesday’s session, about 20 suspects were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite to face terrorism-related charges.
The prosecution team is led by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), while the defence is headed by the Director General of the Legal Aid Council, Aliyu Abubakar.
Among the defendants listed for trial are Hamat Modu, Isah Ali, Awal Bello, Shehu Bukar, Alhaji Kulle, Mohammed Abacha Hassan, Aminami Mallum, Tasiu Yakubu, and Abdullahi Ali, alongside several others.
Security around the Federal High Court complex in Abuja’s Central Business District was significantly tightened as the trials began. Armed security personnel were deployed across the area, access roads were restricted, and a police helicopter was seen patrolling overhead to ensure order throughout the proceedings.
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