The Department of State Services is expected to re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group today, Thursday, over the alleged abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The suspects are facing a six-count amended charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja in connection with the May 15 abduction and the subsequent killing of two victims.
The accused persons are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, alias Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
The re-arraignment, initially scheduled for Wednesday, could not proceed after the first defendant objected to representation by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
A Deputy Director of the council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had appeared in court on behalf of the five defendants before Justice Saliu Ibrahim.
However, Muhammad told the court that the defendants already had a lawyer and wanted him to continue representing them.
“We had been represented by Bala Dakum as our lawyer before, and we would want him to continue to defend us,” he said.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Federal Government, acknowledged the defendants’ right to counsel of their choice.
Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the DSS was committed to following due process and ensuring that justice was served.
He maintained that the agency was not interested in persecuting the accused persons but in ensuring that the matter was properly adjudicated.
Following the disagreement over legal representation, Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until Thursday for the defendants to be formally re-arraigned.
The judge directed the accused persons to contact Dakum and ensure his appearance in court.
He also ordered the DSS to provide the suspects with access to their chosen lawyer to enable them adequately prepare their defence, in line with the law.
