The Federal High Court located in Abuja has expedited the proceedings regarding three suspected terrorists who are accused of conducting surveillance on both the American and Israeli embassies in Nigeria for certain persons linked to Iran.
Judge Emeka Nwite issued this directive after receiving an oral request from the prosecuting attorney, Bello Abu, which defense lawyers did not contest.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the three suspects, identified as Haruna Abbas, Ibrahim Musa, and Adam Suleiman, were apprehended in Kano and Lagos States back in 2013.
During Wednesday's court session, a witness from the prosecution testified that Abbas confessed to being enlisted to monitor the interests of the United States and Israel in Nigeria, with a specific focus on their embassies.
The witness, an official from the Department of State Services (DSS) named James Simon, stated that one individual recruited for the mission confessed to the operations and even to enlisting others.
Simon, who was the first prosecution witness, was subjected to cross- examination on Tuesday by Abbas's defense attorney, Aliyu Yauri. He confirmed that he documented the statement given by Abbas, wherein the suspect described his role and the assistance he provided to Iranians in recruiting other Nigerians.
According to Simon, Abbas (the first accused) indicated that Iranian military personnel trained certain Nigerians, including the defendants, to perpetrate acts of terrorism.
When questioned by Yauri on whether he would categorize the Iranian military as a terrorist group, Simon acknowledged that while he had no knowledge of the individuals involved, "their participation in training Nigerians in terrorism constitutes an act of terrorism, despite not being formally classified as such."
In considering whether the defendants could be labeled terrorists solely for engaging in military training with Iranian instructors, the witness affirmed this conviction.
"The engagement of non-military individuals in surveillance, recruitment of associates, and even handling weapons is reflective of terrorism," he stated.
He then inquired about the objective behind the training. "What purpose warrants non-military personnel going abroad for military training?"
Further, reading from one of Abbas's statements, Simon highlighted that Abbas had noted they were instructed by military trainers whose identities he could not verify.
When probed about the tasks assigned to the defendants, the witness revealed that Abbas mentioned missions related to surveillance, counter-surveillance, and information gathering.
Based on Abbas's admissions, he claimed that they were tasked with reporting the names of American and Israeli businesses.
As Yauri urged the witness to clarify the defendants' objectives, Simon referred back to Abbas's statement, which indicated their training in Iran began with surveillance tactics.
He noted that the training included recruiting techniques, information security, open-source intelligence, communication skills, and a one-day firearms handling session.
Moreover, he conveyed that Abbas mentioned they were briefly taken to a military base in Iran for a shooting exercise.
The witness also cited a part of Abbas's statement: "My mission was to relay information regarding the locations of the US and Israeli embassies."
Simon elaborated that Abbas had been instructed to recruit others for this assignment and had written about his intent to provide open-source intelligence to both the American and Israeli entities upon his return to Nigeria.
Abbas stated in his confessional declaration: "We discussed the individuals to be sent; three trustworthy individuals were nominated for training."
He further elaborated on his commitments, detailing plans to arrange trips for them once he returned from Iran, maintaining focus on intelligence related to the US and Israel.
The session was adjourned by Justice Nwite until April 1 for continued proceedings.
Previously, during the trial concerning the five individuals linked to the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the second defendant, Al Qasim Idris, testified about his detention and the circumstances under which statements were acquired from him.
Idris stated that he was unable to read or write in English, which prevented him from composing his own statement. Nonetheless, he confirmed that when he fell ill in detention, the DSS took care of his medical needs.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 26.
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