Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Four persons suspected to be involved in the murder of a Kaduna based Islamic preacher, Sheikh Auwal Adam Albani, were on Tuesday arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The suspects, Yakubu Abdullahi (alias Alhaji Bala), Yasir Salihu (alias Dan Birnin), Bilyaminu Usman (alias Bilya) and Musa Abubakar (alias Mallam), were accused of conspiring to kill the cleric, his wife and son on 1st of February 2014.

Sheikh Adam Albani: Killed 2014 February

In a seven count charge read to them at their arraignment, they were alleged to have killed the prominent cleric and leader of the Sallafiyya Movement in Zaria, Kaduna State, his wife Umma Abdul-Bari Albani and 18 year old son, Abdullahi Albani with two AK-47 rifles.

The offences which the authorities described as terrorist acts, are punishable under sections 17, 5 (1), and 16 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

They however pleaded not guilty to all the counts of the charge before the prosecutor, Ms. Chioma Onuegbu, the Assistant Director of Public Prosecution in the AGF’s office, requested for an adjournment to enable the prosecution call in its witnesses.

The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, thereafter ordered the accused persons to be remanded in the Nigerian Prisons, FCT Command Kuje. He also ordered for an accelerated trial of the case and fixed five days for hearing beginning from April 21.

The CPU also granted the prosecutor’s a request for the trial to be conducted secretly to protect the identities of her witnesses some of whom are serving operatives of the State Security Services, SSS. Only accredited members of the press would be allowed durring the trial.