Four terrorism suspects connected to Bello Turji, a notorious bandit kingpin who is wanted, filed bail applications, but Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja denied them.
The judge cited the seriousness of the charges against them.
In her ruling, Justice Nwite stated that the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice had proven that the four suspects’ alleged offences were extremely serious and that there was a high probability that they would tamper with witnesses and evidence and commit additional crimes.
Musa Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu, also known as Doctor, Samuel Chinedu, and Lucky Chukwuma are the suspects who were denied bail. They were accused of aiding and abetting the bandit group led by Bello Turjil.
Eleven terrorism-related charges were brought against them by the Federal Government, which they denied.
Justice Nwite had, on December 23, 2024, remanded them to Kuje prison pending the completion of their trial.
In count one, it was said that Musa Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu, also known as Doctor, Bashir Abdullahi, Samuel Chinedu, Lucky Chukwuma, Bello Turji (at large), Aminu Muhammad (at large), and Sani Lawal (at large) conspired to commit the terror act in Sokoto State between 2018 and 2022.
They were also alleged to have supplied boots, caps and building materials, including bags of cement, cover zinc, bags of nails, M.M. iron rods, etc, to terrorist camps in the forests located in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
In count four, Kamarawa, Muhammad (at large) and Lawal (at large), sometime in 2021 in Sokoto State, allegedly aided and abetted the commission of acts of terrorism by acquiring a military gun truck from Libya and supplying same to a terrorist, Kachalla Halilu, at a cost of approximately N28.5 million (28,500,000).
They were alleged to have paid for the gun truck partly in cash and partly via electronic transfer.
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The offence, the Federal Government said, is contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
The Federal Government through the Office of the AGF, had filed the 11-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/633/2024 against eight defendants, four of who were said to be at large.
The charge was filed on December 16 by Mohammed Abubakar, Director, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.
