BREAKING: Court remands six in DSS custody over alleged terrorism
Six Defendants Remanded in Terrorism Case by Federal High Court
ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) following their arraignment on 13 counts related to alleged terrorism.
The proceedings commenced at 1:46 p.m., during which the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, informed the court that the charges were ready and requested permission to read them to the defendants.
The hearing experienced a brief interruption when the third defendant reported that his lawyer was unavailable. Additionally, the counsel for the sixth defendant stated that his client only spoke Arabic and Hausa, leading the court to pause the session to arrange for an interpreter.
Resuming at 2:18 p.m., all six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. After the arraignment, the prosecution sought the defendants’ remand in DSS custody and requested an expedited hearing of the case.
Defense counsel did not raise significant opposition to the remand, although the attorney for the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.
The trial judge subsequently granted the request for an accelerated hearing, ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody with access to their legal representatives, and adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, when the trial is set to begin.
