Court stalls Ndume’s application to quash terrorism charges

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Legislature, Raw Politics, Senate Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

The trial of Senator Aliyu Ndume did not commence as scheduled on Wednesday as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja adjourned to April 26, 2012 for adoption of written addresses in a motion in which the senator is seeking to quash the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

Ndume is facing a four counts of terrorism over his alleged sponsorship of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

The trial proper was initially scheduled to commence on February 2, 2012, but the absence of the prosecution counsel led to the adjournment of the matter to Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

However, when the court resumed on Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Fatunde, said the prosecution had not been served with a motion filed by Ndume on March 19, 2012, in which he asked the court to quash the charges against him.

As a result, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, gave the defence team seven days to file its written addresses in the motion, and serve the prosecution.

Also, Kolawole gave the prosecution 14 days to reply the motion and file its counter affidavit.

Ruling on the matter, Kolawole said, “In view of the motion on notice filed on 19th March 2012 wherein the counsel for the accused person sought an order seeking to quash the charges against the accused person, the trial due to begin today (Wednesday) is now adjourned pending the determination of the said motion”.

He thereafter fixed April 26, 2012 for adoption of the written addresses.

Ndume was in December 2011 arraigned before the Abuja Federal High Court on a four counts on alleged offences that violated the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The Senator was alleged to have concealed information on attacks being planned by the Boko Haram sect.

He was equally alleged to have received information on or about October 4, 2011 from the convicted former Boko Haram spokesman Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, alias Al-Zawahiri, regarding planned attacks on judges of the Borno State Election Petitions Tribunal and the National Assembly, but failed to disclose the information to a law enforcement officer.

-Punchwp_posts