One of the alleged masterminds and prime suspects of the bombing in Suleja, Niger State, Ahmed Hassan Ezimako, yesterday told the court how Boko Haram attacked the All Christian Fellowship Mission and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office and other areas between April and May 2011.
Ezimako, who is a Boko Haram convert from Imo State, was among eight suspects arraigned in an Abuja Chief Magistrates Court yesterday by the State Security Service (SSS) on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit felony.
Others arraigned with him were Shuaibu Abubakar, Umar BabaGana Umar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam, Mohammed, Umar Ibrahim and Salisu Ahmed.
They were said to have criminally conspired to commit “a felony to wit: criminal intimidation and threat to life and, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means contrary to Section 97, 248, Sub Section 1 and 397 of the Penal Code punishable under the same section.”
However, prosecuting counsel, Mr. Cliff Osagie, told the court that one Basha, who is the architect of the crime, along with others was still at large.
Continue to read his story
Although Ezimako did not enter his plea to the charges against him, he confessed participating in the Boko Haram bombings, revealing that he connected the members to where they bought the cortex wires that were used in detonating their bombs.
Ezimako, who said point blank that he knew something about the transactions on the explosives, said: “I was working in a mining site at Awe Local Government Area in Nasarawa State.” He said at the close of work on a certain day, he met Ahmed, who he had known for a long time since they started the Boko Haram. “He collected my phone number on a condition that he would not give it to anybody,” disclosing that he had to run away and change his former phone numbers after Ahmed gave it to Basha, who invited him to Suleja, preached to, and converted him to Boko Haram. He said Basha told him that they were on a revenge mission for their slain leader, Mohammed Yusuf. “We have been together since 2008 and 2009 in the preaching of Boko Haram. After the crisis of 2009 in Maiduguri, Basha called me with Salisu, to meet him in Madala for a meeting. As I went there, Basha collected my number and preached to me that he was training people for a revenge for the death of Mohammed Yusuf. He taught us how to handle AK 47.” Revealing that he, Basha and Ahmed went into oath taking after the meeting, Ezimako said he became discontent with the practices of the dreaded sect and told Basha that he was no longer interested in the sect. Hence, he destroyed his initial phone number to prevent Basha from reaching him. However, he said Basha was able to again reach him on his new phone numbers, which he allegedly got forcefully from Ahmed, after he (Ezimako) gave it out to Ahmed conditionally. He told the court that this was how Basha was able to contact him to help the sect get two rolls of cortex wire that would enable them explode their bombs. He said he was able to connect Ahmed with one of the accused persons that helped them to get it and got his money from Basha through the same Ahmed. Having listened to him, the prosecution told the court that investigation on the matter had been concluded and the service was ready for the trial of the accused. Accordingly, he prayed that the accused persons be remanded in the SSS’ custody, while applying an adjournment to enable the service produce other suspects for trial. Chief Magistrate Oyebola Oyewunmi ordered that the accused persons be remanded in SSS’ custody, even as she urged them to hire a lawyer of their choice.Further hearing was fixed for October 4. |
No comments:
Post a Comment