By Ayomide Otitoju
One of the suspects standing trial alongside Khalid Al-Barnawi and three others over the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja has told the Federal High Court how he joined the terrorist group behind the attack.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Emeka Nwite in Abuja, the second defendant, Mohammed Saleh, disclosed in a video recording played in open court that he joined Al-Barnawi in Bauchi shortly before the bombing. He said their association began at that time and later became more established.
The video was presented as part of the ongoing trial-within-trial aimed at determining the voluntariness of the confessional statements allegedly made by the defendants. The court subsequently commenced the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness in the exercise.
Under cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, F.K. Kaigama, the witness, identified as TSR3, said he is a staff member of the Department of State Services (DSS) working in the technical department. He explained that his duties include setting up audio and video recording equipment in interview rooms and recording suspects during interrogation sessions.
The witness further told the court that his responsibilities also cover computer and mobile phone forensic examinations, as well as crime scene investigations such as fingerprint collection and laboratory analysis.
According to him, his role in relation to the first defendant went beyond setting up recording equipment, as he conducted real-time audio and video recordings of the interview session, the statement-taking process, and the translation of the defendant’s statement.
When asked whether a person known as James worked in the DSS technical department, the witness said there were several individuals with that name in the unit.
Justice Nwite later adjourned further proceedings, citing other official engagements. With the consent of counsel to all parties, the case was adjourned until March 2 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial.
Al-Barnawi was arrested by the DSS in April 2016 in Lokoja, Kogi State, about five years after the bombing of the UN House in Abuja. The attack, the first on an international agency’s facility in Nigeria, claimed more than 20 lives and left over 70 people injured.
Al-Barnawi, who is also known by several aliases including Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda and Alhaji Tanimu, is being prosecuted alongside Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (also known as Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu, also known as Bello Maishayi.
