One of the three Lebanese standing trials at a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged terrorist offences on Friday confessed to being privy to a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria.
The witness who is also the third accused person, Talal Ahmad Roda, disclosed this when he was being cross-examined by the Prosecutor, Samuel Edege at the resume hearing.
The three Lebanese, one of whom own Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland in Abuja are standing trial for alleged terrorist activities following discovery of ammunitions at a business and residential buildings linked to them in Abuja and No 3, Gaya road, Kano respectively.
Edege, the Director of Public Prosecution had asked the third accused, Roda if he was aware of a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria, to which he answered in affirmative.
Roda said one Abdulhassan Tahir, now at large told him about the plan but could not however confirm if the assassination plan was carried out or not.
In the cause of further cross-examinations, the accused also admitted as follows:
That in 1994 he was trained by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon. He said the training was compulsory then for all young men in Lebanon because of Israelis occupation of south-Lebanon where he hailed from.
That he left Nigeria in 2008 and returned in 2010 because “financially, I was broke. That was why I left”.
That one Isa once asked for information about Israeli companies in Nigeria but that he did not oblige him.
That he apologised to Nigerians in his statement because the DSS told him he was guilty and should state in his statement.
That he also helped one Isa In 1990 to carry weapons to No 3 Gaya road in Kano and kept same in the masters-bedroom
That he again went to the same house in 1995 to clean the weapons alongside two other persons. Asked about the type of weapons he saw, he said he only saw AK 47, adding “that’s all I can remember”.
That he once drove one Isa Musa to delivered three bags of weapons to an undisclosed location. That in 2010, Isa requested for information about Israeli security company but ” I refused to carry out”.
Asked why he did not inform security agencies about movement of weapons around the country all this while, Ahmad Roda said, “I am not allowed to mention anything to anybody”.
Meanwhile, the Defence counsel, Ahmed Raji filed oral application that the three accused persons be moved away from the Department of State Service (DSS) custody to Kuje Prison to enable them be in a good frame of minds as they come to court to give evidence.
According to him, the accused persons were being compelled to grant interviews to foreigners against their will, adding that with such treatment, the accused will not be in a good frame of minds to give evidence.
The Prosecution Counsel, Samuel Edege did not object to the application thus, Justice Adeniyi directed that the three accused persons be moved to Kuje Prison forthwith.
“Having listened to the Defence Counsel to the accused persons and the and the Prosecution Counsel not objecting, it is therefore, ordered that the accused persons be transferred to Kuje prison so that they can continue to give evidence,” the Judge said..
He thereafter, adjourned further hearing till Monday, August 5, 2013 when the first and second accused persons will give evidence.
