Court Reserves Ruling on DSS Bid to Admit Terror Suspects’ Statements

The Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved ruling on whether to admit the confessional statements made by three men accused of espionage in favour of foreign agents, following an application by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The defendants, Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa, and Adam Suleiman are standing trial on terrorism charges, including allegations of spying on the United States and Israel’s interests in Nigeria.

At Wednesday’s sitting, the DSS urged the court to accept the statements allegedly made by the suspects during interrogation, insisting they were given voluntarily and formed a crucial part of its case.

However, the defendants objected, claiming the statements were obtained under duress. Their lawyers argued that admitting such evidence would undermine the integrity of the trial.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who is presiding over the case, heard final arguments from the parties in a “trial-within-trial” process to determine the admissibility of the statements. The judge adjourned ruling on the matter indefinitely, promising to notify parties once a date is fixed.

While the prosecution filed its written address within the court’s deadline, one of the defence counsels failed to comply, prompting the court to proceed with submissions from the available parties.

The case, which has drawn significant attention due to its international implications, centres on allegations that the suspects had been recruited to gather intelligence on foreign diplomatic interests, including US and Israeli facilities in Nigeria.

The adjournment leaves the fate of the contested statements hanging, as the trial continues to test the balance between national security concerns and the rights of accused persons.