A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to fast-track the trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, the alleged mastermind of the 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Nigeria’s capital.
Al-Barnawi, identified as a commander in the terrorist group Ansaru, is facing terrorism-related charges along with four others.
Presiding Judge Emeka Nwite granted the request on Friday after Alex Iziyon, DSS counsel applied for an accelerated hearing, stating that the agency was ready to proceed.
The defense did not oppose the request.
Judge Nwite granted the application and directed that video evidence submitted by the DSS be reviewed in the presence of the court registrar.
Both parties are to take notes during the session, after which the matter will continue on the next adjourned dates.
The judge stated that the purpose of this process is to determine whether the defendants’ confessional statements were made voluntarily.
The trial-within-a-trial is set to continue on October 23 and 24.
Al-Barnawi was arrested in April 2016 in Lokoja, Kogi State—five years after the bombing that killed over 20 people and injured more than 70. The trial has experienced multiple delays due to legal and procedural issues.
The co-defendants are Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (also known as Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (also known as Bello Maishayi).
Prosecutors allege that between 2011 and 2013, the defendants conspired to carry out terrorist acts in Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and other northern states.
The United States designated Al-Barnawi a global terrorist in 2012 and announced a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture.
Ansaru, which is linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the 2012 Kuje prison raid in Abuja.
