Suspected mastermind of the 2011 Christmas Day bombing at St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, f Niger State, Mr. Kabiru Umar (aka Kabiru Sokoto), yesterday denied knowledge of the planning and execution of the dastardly act. Sokoto, who testified for himself before an Abuja Federal High Court yesterday, said he was being made to answer charges he knew nothing about.
The suspect told the court that he is a native of Gagi in Sokoto South Local Government Area of Sokoto State, adding that he was a teacher and an islamic scholar. He said he was arrested at the Borno State Government Lodge, Abuja on January 14, 2012 but did not say why he was at the lodge.
Sokoto, who claimed he was tortured by the police and later made to write statements, said nothing incriminating was found in his house when security agents went there to search. He denied knowledge of the crime for which he was being tried. The suspect said it was his interrogators who told him about one Habib Barma, whom they claimed coordinated the bombing at the Mandalla church.
The accused was made to open his defence yesterday after court's ruling last week, dismissing his nocase submission. Sokoto, who also concluded his evidence-inchief yesterday, would be cross-examined today by the prosecution.
The Federal Government had accused Sokoto of withholding information on the plan to bomb St. Theresa's Catholic Church, Madalla, from law enforcement officer, an offence contrary to Section 7(1) and punishable under Section 33(1) of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011.
He was also accused of facilitating the commission of terrorist act to wit: by planting and encouraging some boys (now at large) at Mabira Sokoto, in Sokoto State with the intention to bomb the police headquarters and some other government agencies in the state contrary to Section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under the same Act.
The Federal Government had called eight witnesses to testify against Sokoto. But moments after the Federal Government closed its case against him, Sokoto announced in court that rather than defending the case by calling his own witnesses, he said he would file a no case submission which he eventually filed and argued. No case submission is a submission by an accused to the effect that the prosecution has no evidence linking him to the charge.
National Mirror