Madalla bombing: Friday is judgment day for Kabiru Sokoto

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, will tomorrow deliver judgment in the trial of the alleged mastermind of the 2011 Christmas Day bombing, which occured in St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, where 44 persons were killed and 75 others wounded, Kabiru Umar, a.k.a Kabiru Sokoto.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that Justice Ademola had within the last two months, delivered two judgments on terrorism related cases.

The cases were that of “This Day bomber” who was sentenced to life imprisonment and that of the three Lebanese who were alleged to be members of Hezbollah terrorists group.

Two out the three Lebanese were set free while one was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sokoto, who is answering a two-count charge against him by the Federal Government had through his counsel, Hassan Lukman, maintained that the government failed to establish a prima-facie case capable of warranting his trial and conviction.

While praying the court to discharge and acquit him, Sokoto contended that none of the six witnesses that testified against him in court were able to establish a nexus, linking him to the  alleged terrorist act.

He further queried the propriety of allowing him to undergo trial “in view of the fact that the prosecution has failed to tender any evidence connecting him to the alleged offence.”

It will be recalled that Sokoto was initially docked before the court on May 20.

Aside the allegation that he trained over 500 men on how to manufacture and detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the Federal Government said that he had prior knowledge that the sect planned to bomb the church on Christmas Day but failed to disclose it to any law enforcement officer as soon as reasonably practicable.

He was said to have between 2007 and 2012, at Mabira Sokoto, Sokoto State, facilitated the commission of terrorist acts, including planting bombs at police headquarters and some government organisations in the state.

Though he was previously arrested by the police in Abuja on January 14, 2012, he was, however, declared missing two days later.

He was re-arrested on February 10, 2012.

The last prosecution witness had told the court that Sokoto confessed that one of the recognized leaders of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, told him that only members of the sect that had been initiated into the “Shurah” cadre, were allowed to know the ideology behind the current insurgency in the Northern parts of the country.

The witness told the court that Sokoto had further disclosed that whereas members of the “Shurah” which he belongs to, plan and mastermind attacks, others were recruited to execute terrorist agenda of the sect.
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