Operatives of the Division of State Companies utilizing forensic instruments traced a suspect, who despatched threatening textual content messages to a few elite colleges within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Otukpo in Benue state, the place he was arrested
This was a part of the testimony of a DSS operative within the trial of John Jude Agbo, who was arraigned on March 17 on a two-count cost beneath the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, and so on.) Modification Act 2024, earlier than a Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja on Friday.
The operative, Michael Jego, who testified as the primary prosecution witness within the ongoing trial, informed the courtroom that the DSS obtained petitions from three Abuja colleges in 2024: Premier Worldwide College; The Regent Secondary College; and Oakland Worldwide British College; reporting threatening textual content messages from sure cellphone numbers, with the sender warning of plans to kill college students and academics and destroy property.
He mentioned his crew was particularly directed to analyze a petition obtained from Oakland Worldwide College on November 28, 2024.
Utilizing forensic instruments, operatives traced the suspect to Otukpo in Benue State, the place he was arrested and a Tecno Android cellphone and SIM card recovered from him.
Agbo was subsequently dropped at Abuja, the place he was interviewed and volunteered a press release within the presence of a lawyer from the Authorized Assist Council of Nigeria, Jego mentioned.
The prosecution tendered the recovered cellphone, petitions from the faculties, a compact disc containing audio-visual recordings of the defendant’s interview and statement-making classes, and a duplicate of his extra-judicial assertion.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted all objects in proof with out objection from defence counsel Hamza Dantani.
Underneath cross-examination, Jego acknowledged that the petitions didn’t bear the defendant’s identify and that the cellphone numbers used to ship the messages had been offered by the faculties themselves.
He additionally conceded he couldn’t independently verify that the numbers belonged to Agbo.
Nevertheless, Jego maintained that Agbo admitted being a part of those that composed the threatening messages and was arrested in possession of the cell phone linked to the communications.
The defendant, whereas confirming familiarity with the Tecno cellphone, denied being its proprietor.
The DSS mentioned Agbo used 4 GSM numbers: 08124412783, 08069781274, 08105715028, and 09139681108, to ship the messages, wherein he threatened to assault the faculties, warning that it could not take his group as much as a minute to hold out the assaults.
Prosecution Counsel, Dr. Calistus Eze, sought an adjournment to current extra witnesses and displays.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case till Could 12 for continuation of trial.