Abuja bombings: Charles Okah, others to spend Xmas in SSS custody

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed the bail application filed by Charles Okah and three other suspects accused of terrorism and treasonable felony in respect of the Independence Day bombings in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Also, agency reports said the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, who is the elder brother of Charles Okah, on Tuesday, finally pushed his battle for bail in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a High Court for commencement of appeal.

Okah, Obi Nwabueze, Edmond Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Osvwo (a.k.a General Gbokos), who were first arraigned on December 7, pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them by the State Security Services.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, in his ruling, dismissed the application for bail on the ground that they failed to provide reasonable proof that they would not abscond.

“I am not convinced that the accused, if granted bail, will be able to stand trial. In a case like this, it is not enough to presume the accused innocent as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

“The accused have not produced any fact that I can rely on that they will attend their trial if granted bail. It’s in my view that their application lacks merit and is hereby refused and dismissed,” he said.

Kolawole noted that each of the eight charges levelled against the accused by the state carried a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, while the separate charge brought against Okah, Nwabueze and Osvwo carried a maximum penalty of death.

He said that the rules of the court in criminal matters “give room for summary trial.”

The judge adjourned the case till January 11, 12 and 18, 2011 for trial, and ordered that the accused be remanded in SSS custody.

He ordered that they be transferred to Kuje Prison after three days.

The older Okah is charged with terrorism related offences in connection with the same October 1 bombings in Abuja, and is being held in custody at a Johannesburg Prison following the denial of his bail by a Johannesburg Magistrate Court on November 19.

Counsel to Okah, Mr. Rudi Krause told the NAN in Johannesburg on Tuesday that the appeal had been set for January 4, 2011.

He insisted that the magistrate’s court erred by not granting his client bail given the facts presented during the hearing.

Source:Punch