Nigerian court to rule on bail for Hezbollah linked Lebanese

Trial of three Lebanese held over the illegal importation of arms cache in Kano state, northern Nigeria, resumed before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja on Monday.

The accused persons who were docked on a terrorism charge were said to have confessed to having undergone training under the military wing of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

The prosecutor, Mr. Simon Egede, who is the Acting Director of Ublic Prosecutor of the Federation, also told the court that the three accused persons- Mustapha Fawaz (49 years), Abdullahi Thahini (48) and Tahal Roda (51) who are facing a six-count charge also confessed to having financial relationship with the international terrorist group.

They are being tried alongside two of their companies – Amigo Supermarket Limited and Wonderland Amusement Park Resort.

Mr. Egede made these disclosures in his submissions against the accused persons’ bail application and urged the court to deny the accused persons bail on the ground that they could jump bail.

He also told the court to be mindful of the fact that the charge of terrorism for which the accused persons were being tried was a serious offence, requiring them to present a special circumstance on which the court allow them on bail.

“From their statements, they confessed to some of the charges against them. We have annexed the statements written in their writing. Their training by terrorist organsation and their financial support over the years and have also exhibited samples of the US dollars found in the custody of one of them which was in furtherance of their financial support to the international organisation. At trial, we will lead evidence to establish that.”

He noted that the ammunition found in the custody of the accused persons “is sufficient to sustain a civil war” and listed them as land mines, AK 47 rifles, anti-tank rocket launchers, hand grenades, among others.

On the possibility that they could abscond, he told the court that the accused persons possess dual citizenship and could easily run to their country of birth if granted bail and that some of their alleged accomplices have escaped and are currently at large.

He further added that one of the accused was arrested at the airport, while planning to board a plane and flee the country and urged the court to refuse the accused persons’ prayer that their sealed companies be unsealed and argued that re opening of the sealed companies would jeopardise ongoing investigation on the premises.

The defence lawyer, Mr. Robert Clarke, a senior advocate of Nigeria, had earlier urged the court to allow his clients on bail because they have been held in state custody for about two months and gave assurance that they would neither escape trial nor tamper with prosecution’s witness.

He also informed the court that the Lebanese ambassador was willing to stand surety for the accused persons.

But Mr. Egede specifically told the court to ignore that assurance because the ambassador is covered by immunity and could not be prosecuted even if he gave such undertaken and reneged.

The presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, thereafter fixed ruling on the bail application for Thursday.