The trial of Kabiru Umar (alias Kabiru Sokoto), who allegedly masterminded the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, has started at an Abuja Federal High Court.
Two witnesses were called to testify in the matter.
The witnesses gave account on his arrest and interrogation.
The first witness, a police officer attached to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Terrorism, who was identified as XYZ, narrated to the court how Sokoto was arrested last January at the Borno State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja and what transpired during interrogation.
The witness told the court that Sokoto voluntarily gave a statement in which he stated that he belongs to Boko Haram and that he is the governor of the sect in Sokoto State.
“He told us that they received funding from a group in Algeria known as Musulmi Yamma and that the money created a division within the sect,” he said.
Prosecuting counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, sought to tender the statement as evidence but defence counsel, Adamu Ibrahim, objected.
Ibrahim told the court that the statement was not obtained voluntarily and prayed to the court to declare a trial within trial.
At the trial within trial, prosecution witness 2, who was identified as ABC, informed the court that Sokoto had asked for someone to take his statement while he was being interrogated because he was not in the right state of mind to do so himself.
He, however, said the statement was not obtained under duress as claimed by defense counsel but under Biu’s supervision and in the presence of other members of the team.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North has began consultations with relevant persons who are connected with the ongoing insurgency in the North
All 25 members of the committee were in Kuje Minimum Security Prison, Abuja yesterday to meet suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect being detained in the facility.
There are about 40 suspected members of the group presently being held in Kuje Prison including Sokoto.
The delegation was led by the Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and was received at the prison yard by Assistant Comptroller of Prisons, Mr Nuhu Zuru, after which they met the sect members in closed session for consultations for about three hours.
The chairman told State House correspondents that the consultation was in furtherance of the assignment to obtain necessary information that would give the committee a better perspective of the security challenges.
“As you can see, we are in the process of consultations with major stakeholders that we feel are in the position to assist us to get more information, to get more facts, to get a better perspective of the security situation so that we will, at the end of the day, come up with good recommendations that will be able to assist government in the resolution of this crisis.
