The trial of the alleged bandit negotiator, Tukur Mamu was on Tuesday stalled before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja due to the absence of prosecution witnesses in court.
When the matter was called, lawyer to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), David Kaswe, informed the court of their challenge.
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Kaswe said, though, the prosecution has three more witnesses to call to establish its case against Mamu, he said the next witness, who had already been prepared to testify, told them Monday night that he would not be able to come to Abuja for the matter on Tuesday
The lawyer further said, another witness who would have given his evidence and tendered exhibits in the case could not come because the exhibits keeper was not around.
“This is the challenge we have, my lord,” he said and prayed the court for an adjournment.
In his response, Johnson Usman, SAN, who appeared for Mamu, did not oppose the request for an adjournment but expressed sadness over some developments.
Usman alleged that his client, a Muslim, had not been allowed to go for his prayers since he was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS).
He also alleged that Mamu’s relatives were being prevented from seeing him against the court order.
Besides, the lawyer said that though the court ordered that his client should be allowed to have access to a doctor of his choice, he said that after his doctor prescribed a BP Digital Kit for his client, the DSS officers refused to allow the family to provide the equipment to his client.
He said, even though the security agency insisted that the device would be provided for the defendant, they were yet to do that.
Justice Ekwo, therefore, directed the prosecution and the defence lawyers to work together on the complaints of the defendant and report back to the court within seven days on the steps taken to resolve the issues.
The judge adjourned the matter till May 6, 2025 for a continuation of the trial.
The Federal Government had, on March 21, 2023, arraigned Mamu on a 10-count terrorism charge
for allegedly aiding terrorist operations in the country.
The Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was accused of collecting various sums of money in different currencies from families of victims of the train attack, on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.
The Federal Government told the court that investigations revealed that the defendant collected an aggregate sum of $420, 000 from families of the victims, as well as N21 million from another set of families of the train attack.
It further alleged that Mamu concealed funds he earned from services he rendered to the terrorist organisation in his residence in Kaduna State.
The government told the court that the defendant had, sometime in 2022, in Kaduna State, received ransom payments in the sum of N500,000 on behalf of the Boko Haram terrorist group, from families of the train attack that were held as hostages.
More so, in the charge that was signed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr M.B. Abubakar, the Federal Government added that the defendant exchanged voice note communications with one Baba Adamu, identified as spokesperson of Boko Haram, in relation to acts of terrorism.
It maintained that the defendant acted in breach of the Terrorism Prevention, Prohibition Act, 2022.
Mamu, however, denied all the allegations.
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