Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Aminu Ogwuche: sues DSS for unlawful detention

Following his arrest in Sudan, deportation and continued detention by the State Security Service, SSS, suspected mastermind of the 14th April bomb blasts which rocked a Bus terminal at Nyanya in Abuja metropolis, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, has asked a federal court in Abuja to award him N100 million as damages for his continuous detention without trial.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola had recently struck out a charge filed against the suspected bomber by the Inspector General of Police following lack of diligent prosecution of the charge by the Nigerian police.

Since then, the suspect has been in the custody of the State Security Service, who are said to have held on to him for further investigations.

Ogwuche eloped from Nigeria soon after the bomb blasts that killed about a hundred persons with another hundred others severely wounded, and ran to Sudan where he was later arrested with the assistance of the Interpol. Following the failure of the security agencies to take him to court to face trial, he instituted an action through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, a senior advocate of Nigeria, challenging his continued detention without trial and access to his wife and family members.

At the hearing of his suit against the SSS on Thursday, the suspected terrorist argued that his continued detention by the State Security Service was illegal and unconstitutional and urged the court to order his release or his trial. He also asked the court to discountenance the provisions of section 27 of the Terrorism Prevention Act which the the SSS is relying on to detain him indefinitely without trial.

He also asked the court to order the SSS to publish an apology to him in two national dailies as compensation for his continued unlawful detention.

His lawyer had earlier told the court that Ogwuche has been in the custody of the SSS since July, a period that is clearly beyond the constitutional period any Nigerian can be held without trial and urged the court to order the SSS to either file a charge against him so that he can defend himself or alternatively, to release him unconditionally.

In the charge which was struck out by the court, Mr. Ogwuche was alleged to have conspired with others said to be at large, to commit an act of terrorism by detonating improvised explosive devices at Nyanya motor park which resulted in the death of 75 persons and injuring over a hundred other persons. The act is said to be punishable under section 17 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act of 2013 and also accused him of being a member of the Boko Haram sect which is a proscribed terrorist organization which is an act of terrorism and punishable under section 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act of 2013.

The trial judge, Justice Ademola, thereafter adjourned hearing into the suspected terrorist’s suit till Friday, to enable the SSS to appear before the court and show cause as to why the orders should not be granted in Ogwuche’s favour.