Nigerian court declines to keep bomb exhibits

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday admitted in evidence, 200 explosives allegedly seized from four suspects of the Suleja bombing.

Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, upon receipt of the items in evidence, however, declined their custody.

“A witness has narrated that the explosives contain radio-active elements and can bring down the entire Federal High Court when activated.

“I do not think we have the capacity to keep them,’’ he said.

Mr Michael Adebayo, an expert in Nuclear and Radio-Active Materials with the SSS, while giving evidence, said that the authorities of the SSS gave him the items in September to analyse.

He said the 200 pieces of electric detonators and two rolls of red cordex wires, switch and batteries were enough to dislodge buildings within 7,000 to 8,000 metre radiuses.

“I went through the elements and based on my experience I discovered that the items were Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs),’’ he said.

Mr Ola Ewa, another witness, said that he took custody of the items on July 20, 2011 in the state headquarters of the SSS in Kaduna.

Ewa, an SSS operative, said that four of the suspects and a Honda car and four mobile phones were further handed over to him.

Mr Alfred Ige, another SSS operative, while giving his evidence, said that he was privileged to record the items, saying: “the 200 electric detonators were, indeed, IEDs and the suspects had some targets’’.

An Army Officer had on 6 December told the court that the bomb components seized from four suspects of the Suleja bombing could produce 200 explosives.

In his evidence-in-chief, he testified that Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohammed Ali and Musa Adam, were arrested on July 28, 2011 at Gumel Junction, Kachia in Kaduna State with the items.

Umar Ibrahim and Shuaibu Abubakar were the others standing trial for the alleged multiple bombings and killings in the Suleja and Madalla bombings, both in Niger.

Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to 9 January 2013, for further hearing. (NAN)