By Ranti Thomas
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after they were arraigned on charges linked to alleged terrorism activities.
The case, which began in the afternoon, saw the defendants formally docked on a 13-count charge presented by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who asked the court to proceed with the reading of the charges.
Proceedings experienced a brief delay after issues were raised about legal representation and language interpretation, as one defendant’s lawyer was absent while another required translation support in Arabic and Hausa before the hearing could continue.
Once the court resumed, all six defendants entered not guilty pleas to the charges brought against them, setting the stage for a full trial.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution requested that the defendants be kept in DSS custody and pushed for a speedy hearing of the matter. Most defence lawyers did not oppose the request, though counsel to the first defendant signaled plans to seek bail.
In his ruling, the trial judge granted the request for accelerated proceedings and ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody, with permission to consult their legal representatives.
The court also fixed April 27, 2026, as the date for the commencement of trial, as the case moves into its next phase.