The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, which began around 1:46pm, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charge was ready and sought permission to have it read to the defendants.
The hearing experienced a brief delay after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was unavailable, while the sixth defendant’s lawyer requested an interpreter, stating that his client only understood Arabic and Hausa. The court subsequently stood down the matter to make the necessary arrangements.
Upon reconvening at about 2:18pm, all six defendants entered their pleas, denying the allegations and pleading not guilty to the charges.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for the defendants to be remanded in DSS custody and requested an accelerated hearing of the case. While most defence counsel did not oppose the request, counsel to the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.
In his ruling, the trial judge granted the request for an expedited hearing, ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their legal representatives, and adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Elijah Adeyemi
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