Two suspects arrested for breaking into the home of Mary Odili, a retired Supreme Court Justice, have been declared missing from Abuja’s Kuje Correctional Facility.
Prosecutor Matthew Omosun announced the development on Wednesday during the trial at the federal court in Abuja
BACKGROUND
In October 2021 security forces penetrated Odili’s residence in Abuja to enforce a search warrant issued by a magistrate’s court over allegations of illegal activity at the house.
However, documents seen by TheCable showed that the search warrant presented by security forces had an incorrect address.
In November 2021 the police demonstrated Suspects arrested in connection with invasion.
On December 15, 2021 the federal government charged the suspects on an 18-person charge bordering on conspiracy to commit a felony and falsifying court documents.
The court on the day of the indictment granted Bail for 12 of the 15 suspects.
The other three were later released on bailbut the court ordered them to remain in detention at Kuje Correctional Facility until they have fulfilled their bail conditions.
The defendants included Adjodo F. Lawrence, Michael Diete-Spiff, Alex Onyekuru, Bayero Lawal, Igwe Ernest, Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Maimuna Maishanu, Ayodele Akindipe and Yusuf Adaiu.
Others include Bashir Musa, Stanley Nkwazema, Shehu Jibo, Abdulahi Adamu, Mohammed Yahaya, and Abdulahi Usman.
on July 5, 2022, Gunmen attacked the Kuje Correctional Facility and freed over 500 inmates, including suspected members of Boko Haram.
At the July 19 retrial, Usman Jibrin, lawyer for three of the defendants, Nkeonye Maha, told the trial judge that his clients – Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, Shehu Jibo and Abdulahi Adamu – were victims of the Kuje attack.
The trial judge then directed the prosecution team to investigate the matter and report on November 16.
‘COURT ORDERS PRISON AUTHORITIES TO CREATE SUSPECTS”
According to NAN, Omosun, the attorney for the prosecution, told the court during Wednesday’s trial that his office had written to prison authorities regarding the three defendants named above.
Reading the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) response in court, Omosun said authorities had disclosed that Jibo and Adamu were at large.
However, Jibrin, lawyer for the defendants, expressed concern that one of his clients – Aliyu Umar Ibrahim, the sixth defendant – was not on trial despite the NCoS’s position that he was not at large.
He asked the court to order the prison authorities to produce Ibrahim on the next adjourned date.
However, Omosun said the three defendants could be tried in absentia based on the provisions of Section 421 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The judge adjourned the matter until February 16, 2023 to continue the case and directed NCoS to try Ibrahim on the next adjourned date.
This story is published in partnership with Report for the World, a global service program supporting local public interest journalism.
