By George OPARA
The Federal government on Monday dragged over 400 terrorism suspects to an Abuja High Court.
Simultaneously, the suspects were arraigned in groups in different courtrooms at the Federal High Court complex, with many regular cases stalled to allow judges to participate in the exercise.
Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the federation and minister of Justice, is leading the prosecution team, aided by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo. Both Mr Fagbemi and Mr Oyedepo are Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
Spear News Nigeria gathered that the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria is providing legal representation for indigent defendants.
The suspects face charges of terrorism, terrorism financing, and aiding and abetting insurgent activities.
The Presiding Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, appointed judges of the court for the special hearing sessions.
Scores of personnel have take over the Court’s complex on as soldiers blocked roads leading to the court and sited military vehicles at strategic locations within the court parameters.
The security deployment coincided with the beginning of the mass terrorism trial.
The exercise dovetailed to a similar mass terrorism trial held in the court in April, when the federal government said it secured the conviction of 386 persons on terrorism related cases.
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