Absence of prosecution’s counsel stalls trial of CSO and 2 others

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June 28, 2017 4:29 PM

They were also alleged to have obtained Nigerian International passport and Iranian visa to travel to Iran for terrorist training.

Ibraheem El Zakzaky

The absence of prosecution counsel on Wednesday stalled the trial of Haruna Abbas, Chief Security Officer to the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The defendants- Abbas, Ibrahim Musa, and Adam Suleiman, were arraigned on a seven-count charge, bordering on terrorism, which they were alleged to have committed between 2009 and 2013.

The defendants were alleged to have agreed to send people for terrorist training in Iran, contrary to Section 4, of the Terrorist Prevention Act 2013.

When the matter was called, counsel to Abbas, Aminu Musa, informed the court of the prosecution’s absence.

Musa said the matter was adjourned for definite hearing, but the prosecuting counsel, Miss Chike Nnenna, was absent and she did not give any reason for her absence.

The defence said that the prosecution was not showing any seriousness to commence trial, adding that the defendants had been in detention since March 2013.

The Judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere, adjourned the matter until Sept. 25 for definite hearing and ordered that hearing notice should be served on the prosecution.

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