Court of Appeal, Abuja has fixed October 2, 2013 for the adoption of addresses in the appeal brought before it by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, asking it to stay proceedings in his trial for terrorism charges.
Ndume is being tried by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja, following his indictment on alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram terrorist activities.
The Senator had approached the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling of the Federal High Court judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who admitted as evidence against him alleged call logs from GSM providers, which indicated that the lawmaker had telephone conversation with a Boko Haram commander, Ali Kondoga.
He asked the appellate court to invalidate the admitted evidence on the ground that the judge erred in law when he admitted non admissible documents, which the Senator described as radical and fundamental against him.
However, his motion for stay of proceedings could not be entertained by the Justice Dauda Yahaya-led three man panel, following the sudden objection to the motion brought by the Federal Government to the court.
The motion for objection to Ndume’s request was brought by Mr. Thompson Olatigbe on behalf of the government.
However, the motion could not be moved as the court ordered both parties to file their written addresses and exchange same “between now and October 2, 2013 when they will be formally adopted”.
Justice Kolawole had on December 11 and 14, 2012 admitted in evidence certain DVDs containing call-data records, including findings based on investigations carried out by a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) of the State Security Service (SSS).
