Court frees 3 Boko Haram suspects

Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday ordered the release of three accused members of Boko Haram, Mustapha Yusuf (aka Habib), Ismaila Abdulazeez and Ibrahim Isa Hayafu because the Federal Government could not prefer any charge against them after detaining them for over three months.

The Department of State Security (DSS)  had late last year paraded a university don, Dr Nazeef Yunus, a lecturer of the Kogi State University, Ayingba, including the  suspects and two others for allegedly being members of the Islamist sect.

Yusuf, 44,  a lecturer in the Department for Islamic Studies, was said to be the spiritual leader of the sect.
At the resumed sitting, prosecution counsel Clifford Osagie informed the court that he had a motion exparte dated January 22, 2014, seeking for an order of the court for further extension of the detention period of Dr Yunus first, second and sixth respondents respectively, Umar Musa, and Salami Abdullahi by the DSS pending their arraignment for terrorism.

However, Hassan Liman (SAN), counsel for Yunus objected, and even reminded the court of its order made on January 13, which directed the government to file formal charges and prosecute the accused persons within seven days or risk their release from the DSS custody.
The court adjourned the matter to January 28 for hearing of the respondents’ motion on notice and the prosecution’s motion exparte.

- The Citizen

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