A Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of six defendants within the custody of the Division of State Companies (DSS) following their arraignment on a 13-count cost bordering on alleged terrorism.
The proceedings, which commenced at about 1:46 p.m. on Wednesday, noticed the Lawyer-Basic of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, inform the court docket that the cost was prepared for studying to the defendants.
The session was briefly interrupted when the third defendant knowledgeable the court docket that his counsel was indisposed, whereas counsel to the sixth defendant said that his shopper understood solely Arabic and Hausa.
This prompted the court docket to face down proceedings to rearrange for an interpreter.
When the listening to resumed round 2:18 p.m., all six defendants entered not-guilty pleas to the fees in opposition to them.
Following their arraignment, the prosecution counsel requested that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and urged the court docket to grant an accelerated listening to of the case.
The request was largely unopposed by defence legal professionals, though counsel to the primary defendant indicated intention to file a bail utility.
In its ruling, the court docket granted the prosecution’s request for an expedited listening to, ordered that the defendants stay in DSS custody with entry to their authorized representatives, and adjourned the matter till April 27, 2026, for graduation of trial proceedings.
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