A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) following their arraignment on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.
The proceedings, which commenced at about 1:46 p.m. on Wednesday, saw the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, inform the court that the charge was ready for reading to the defendants.
The session was briefly interrupted when the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant stated that his client understood only Arabic and Hausa.
This prompted the court to stand down proceedings to arrange for an interpreter.
When the hearing resumed around 2:18 p.m., all six defendants entered not-guilty pleas to the charges against them.
Following their arraignment, the prosecution counsel requested that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case.
The request was largely unopposed by defence lawyers, although counsel to the first defendant indicated intention to file a bail application.
In its ruling, the court granted the prosecution’s request for an expedited hearing, ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody with access to their legal representatives, and adjourned the matter until April 27, 2026, for commencement of trial proceedings.
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