JUSTICE Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday slated March 7, 2018, to decide the fate of the alleged mastermind of the October 1, 2010, Independence day bombings in Abuja, Charles Okah and his co-defendant.
Okah, along with Obi Nwabueze is being prosecuted by the Federal Government over their alleged involvement in the 2010 Independence day bomb blasts at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
Justice Kolawole fixed the date to deliver judgment in the matter, which commenced in 2010 after parties adopted their written addresses.
Counsel, representing Okah, at yesterday’s proceedings, Emeka Okoroafor, in his address filed on January 16, 2018, urged the court to discharge and acquit Okah, on the ground that the prosecution has failed to link him with the alleged offence.
In his own submissions, Oghenevo Otemo, representing the second defendant, Obi Nwabueze said the prosecution did not put anything before the court to warrant his client to put up a defence.
While urging the court to set Nwabueze free, Otemo said his client made several extra-judicial statements voluntarily and that one of such statements, was the one he made at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 18, 2010, which the prosecution refused to place before the court.
This, he said amounts to concealment of evidence, which he pointed out is against the law and urged the court to hold that the document is that, which is favourable to the defendant.
The prosecution counsel, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), in his address filed on January 31, 2018, prayed the court to hold that the prosecution has proven its case against the Charles Okah in counts one and eight.
Izinyon, who described Okah as a schemer and the facilitator of the act of terrorism, urged the court to convict him as charged and also sentenced him accordingly,
He said the prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants were responsible for the 2010 Independence day multiple bomb blasts in Abuja, which claimed several lives and left several others injured.
“The first defendant is head, neck and toe deep in the act of terrorism”, Izinyon told the court.
Earlier, the court allowed the retrieval of the first exhibit tendered by the prosecution and regularise it after paying the prescribed fee to the court.
Justice Kolawole, who over-ruled the objection of counsel to the defendants on the application to that effect by the prosecution dated January 29, 2018, held that a matter is considered over after judgment is delivered and not after the closure of case by parties, as canvassed by the defendants, in their counter-affidavits.
Okah, Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) were first arraigned before the court on December 7, 2010, over their alleged involvement in the October 1, 2010, blasts, leaving about 12 people dead and several others injured.
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The court had earlier sentenced Edmund Ebiware to life imprisonment, while the 4th defendant, Tekemfa Francis-Osvwo died in prison.
The court held on June 1, 2017, that both Okah and Nwabueze had a case to answer with respect to the incident.
Justice Kolawole dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission which they had filed after the prosecution called 17 witnesses and tendered documentary exhibits as evidence to prove its case.
The Judge held that contrary to the contention of the defendants, the prosecution had been able to link the defendants with the alleged offence, warranting them to offer explanations in respect of the charges preferred against them.
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