Nigerian Court Grants Alleged Al-qaeda Terrorist Bail After 4 Years Jail

Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday granted bail to an alleged Nigerian member of the Al-qaeda network, Mohammed Ashafa. Ashafa, 40, is standing trial before the court for alleged offenses of terrorism and belonging to ‘Al-qaeda’ and the “Nigerian Taliban”, both illegal terrorist organizations.

The accused, who had been in detention since 2004, was released on bail On Wednesday by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako on ground of ill health.

She granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 (about US$900) and a surety in like sum.

She said that the surety must be a responsible Nigerian.

Earlier, the accused’s lawyer, Mrs Mary Obegolu, had told the court that her client’s health was failing and that he should be granted bail.

“My Lord, as you can see at the moment, the accused cannot talk because of the bruises he was made to sustain in his throat. At the last sitting, this court ordered that he should be taken to the hospital for treatment, but the prosecution disregarded your directive,” she said.

Obegolu argued further that the allegations against her client were based on Suspicion and that the prosecution had failed to place materials before the court.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Hadi Barkum, opposed the bail application but was overruled by the court..

Ashafa was arrested in 2002 and charged to court in 2006.

In the five count-charge, the accused of Karanchi quarters, Kano, was alleged to have received the sum of 1,500 dollars from Al-qaeda headquarters in Pakistan for Terrorist attacks in Nigeria.

Specifically, the money was allegedly meant to be used for carrying out attacks on the residences of Americans living in Nigeria.

The accused was also alleged to have served as a courier to Al-qaeda by Receiving and decoding messages and disseminating same to an illegal terrorist organization, ‘The Nigerian Taliban’.

He was also alleged to have allowed his house to be used as Al-qaeda secret operational base.

In addition, the accused allegedly contracted, sponsored and ferried 22 “Mujahideen fighters” (militia arm of the Nigerian Taliban) to receive combat training in terrorism from an Algerian terrorist network.

Murtala-Nyako had on 14 May, 2007 refused the accused bail on the ground that the materials placed before the court were not sufficient.

Source African Press Agency

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