Kabiru Sokoto has case to answer, FG insists

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Latest Politics Friday, June 14th, 2013

The Federal Government on Friday opposed a no-case submission filed by Kabiru Sokoto, a Boko Haram leader accused of masterminding the December 25, 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.

Sokoto is being tried for terrorism-related offences before an Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice Ademola Adeniyi.

The Federal Government had called six witnesses, who insisted on Sokoto’s guilt in their separate testimonies.

But Sokoto’s lawyers, led by Hassan Umar, have filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case against him.

However, the prosecution counsel, Mrs. Chioma Onuegbu, insisted that Sokoto was indeed guilty of the charges brought against him.

At the hearing of the no-case submission on Friday, Umar dismissed the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses as hearsay.

“The testimonies of prosecution witnesses 1 and 2 are at best a hearsay. We urge this honourable court to discountenance the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses in its entirety and uphold the no-case submission,” Umar argued.

Onuegbu, on her part, asked the court to overlook the defence counsel’s submissions.

She said, “It is my humble submission that, based on the testimonies of PW1 and PW2, and the exhibits before this honourable court, that there is a prima facie case against the accused person that calls on him to give an explanation.”

Justice Ademola fixed June 21, 2013 for ruling on the no-case submission.
-Punchwp_posts