Jos Update: FG Charges 20 with Terrorism

Terrorism readily conjures the image of Al-Qaeda members unleashing terror on their targets. But suspects arrested in respect of the killings in Dogo-Nahawa, Plateau State, last month have been charged with that crime.

The suspects who have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Jos were charged under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Federal Ministry of Justice Alex Adama explained that those arrested for the Dogo-Nahawa and the January 17 crisis in Jos are going to be tried under the act of a federal agency (EFCC) because their crimes are terrorism-related.
Twenty of the 90 suspects who were charged pleaded not guilty to five counts of arson, terrorism, killing, maiming and possession of dangerous weapons.

Justice Stephen Adah ordered that they be remanded in prison. He adjourned the case of the first group of suspects to April 15 and the second and third groups to 20th and 21st of April. They could face the death penalty if found guilty.

He said that any transfer of suspects should be carried out immediately to ensure that trial takes off without any hitch. 
THISDAY gathered that some of the suspects who had been arraigned in Abuja and whose cases are being transferred from Abuja to Jos, are currently held at Kuje prison.

Adama explained that arrangements should be made to move them to Jos latest by next week.  “We have to make arrangement for them to be brought to Jos; but unfortunately, we could not process the production warrant before today; hopefully by next week, everything will be alright,” he said.

Adama expressed his happiness with the trial, saying the rule of law is in force in that the suspects are being transferred back to Jos for trial.

Counsel to the Fulani suspects, Mr. Ahmed Garba, also confirmed that his clients would be tried for terrorism. He also spoke extensively about the entire case.

According to him, “I am representing only the Fulanis among the suspects arrested in connection with alleged commission of the act of terrorism; using dangerous weapons and things like that; but specifically the Fulanis. I am engaged by the Myetti Allah Association of Nigeria to represent the Fulanis in this case.

“The Federal Ministry of Justice decided to re-arraign those suspects arrested in connection with the Jos crisis of January 17, whose case is now being entertained in Abuja Federal High Court. The Federal Government has indicated interest to transfer all the suspects back to Jos Federal High Court for trial.

“But because the accused are still right now in Kuje prison, the court here today could not take those cases; instead a re-production warrant has been issued so that the accused persons can be produced on the 15 of April, 2010.

“However, the few suspects arraigned today are those arrested in connection with the 7th March, Dogo-Nahawa crisis. They are not many, and I want to believe it is not unconnected with the fact that the Federal DPP is still doing its best to prepare the charges. I believe that any moment from now those that are yet to be arraigned will be arraigned.”

Jos has been suffering from sectarian clashes leading to the death of many. Often times, perpetrators escaped being brought to justice.
But the last major killings that took place in Dogo-Nahawa last month in the early hours of the morning caused outrage.
Helpless women and children were slaughtered as they slept in the wee hours of the morning. Groups of women marched to the National Assembly in Abuja to protest the hacking to death of their loved ones.
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