The Department of State Services (DSS) will on Thursday, September 17, re-arraign five men accused of involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
The suspects are accused of complicity in the May 15 abduction in Oriire Local Government Area and the subsequent killing of two victims. The five men, who are alleged to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, known as Ansaru, will face a six-count amended charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The accused are Mahmud Muhammad and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known; and Shamsu Adamu Sani.
The suspects were initially scheduled to appear before Justice Salim Ibrahim on Wednesday, September 16. However, the re-arraignment was postponed after they insisted on being represented by their preferred lawyer. A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, announced the appearance of the five suspects in court. Muhammad, the first accused, objected to the representation.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Muhammad said they had previously been represented by lawyer Bala Dakum and wanted him to continue defending them. Oyedepo accepted that the choice of legal representation was a constitutional matter that should be respected. He also told the court that the DSS was interested in justice rather than persecuting the accused.
Justice Ibrahim subsequently adjourned the re-arraignment to September 17 and directed the suspects to contact Dakum and ensure he is available in court. The judge also ordered the DSS to give the accused access to their lawyer so they can prepare their defence before the next hearing.
