Bodija Explosion: Absence of counsel again stalls trial
The trial of three Malians accused of detonating explosives was again adjourned on Tuesday to May 5 by the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
Justice Nkeonye Maha adjourned the matter due to the absence of Mr. Mohammed Kyri, the defence counsel to the third defendant, Abubakar Samasa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendants, Ramata Camara, 47; Ganiu Malik, 20, and Samasa, 64, are residents of the Bodija area of Ibadan.
When asked, the defendant told the court that he did not know why his counsel was not in court.
NAN recalls that the counsel was also absent on Jan. 22, when the case was supposed to have started afresh due to the transfer of Justice Ekerete Akpan, who first handled it.
The Oyo State Ministry of Justice had also prayed to assume the prosecutorial role on the matter, a move challenged by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
After a series of adjournments, the court finally ruled on Feb. 24 that the Oyo State Ministry of Justice could not assume a prosecutorial role because of the nature of the case.
According to the court, terrorism-related matters are an exclusive reserve of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The trio had pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, stockpiling of radioactive materials and dispersal of biological weapons.
The charges were first read to them on March 6, 2024.
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