A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has ordered the remand of six individuals in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged involvement in terrorism-related offences.
The defendants were arraigned on Wednesday on a 13-count charge filed by the federal government.
At the commencement of proceedings around 1:46 p.m., the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charges were ready and sought permission for them to be read to the accused persons.
However, the arraignment was briefly stalled after the third defendant told the court that his lawyer was indisposed.
In addition, counsel to the sixth defendant raised concerns that his client only understands Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to allow for the provision of an interpreter.
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When proceedings resumed at about 2:18 p.m., all six defendants took their pleas, denying the allegations and pleading not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, the prosecution applied for their remand in DSS custody and urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case.
Defence counsels did not oppose the request, although counsel to the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.
In a brief ruling, the trial judge granted the prosecution’s request for accelerated hearing and ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody, with access to their legal representatives.
The case was subsequently adjourned to April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
