By Muhammad Mamman
The Department of State Services (DSS) has pressed a Federal High Court in Abuja to admit confessional statements allegedly made by three men accused of espionage and terrorism on behalf of Iranian interests in Nigeria.
The defendants – Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa, and Adam Suleiman – were first arrested in 2013 in Kano and Lagos. They face terrorism-related charges, including spying on American and Israeli facilities in Nigeria.
At Wednesday’s hearing, the suspects objected to their confessions being used as evidence, insisting the statements were not given voluntarily. This dispute triggered a “trial-within-trial” to determine their admissibility.
According to court documents, Abbas was arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on 16 March 2013 after returning from Lebanon. Prosecutors allege he recruited Musa and Suleiman for terror training in Iran and compiled intelligence on US and Israeli concerns in Lagos – including mapping the US Consulate – before transmitting the information through coded emails to an Iranian contact, identified as Abu Ali.
Prosecution counsel Bello Abu argued that the defendants’ claims of coercion were an afterthought, urging the court to accept their statements as credible evidence. He stressed that the DSS, under new leadership, was determined to expedite slow-moving cases.
“The matter is now progressing with urgency. We have come to court even during vacation to ensure this case is dealt with without further delay,” Abu told the court while adopting his final written address.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned ruling on the admissibility of the statements to a date yet to be announced.
If admitted, the statements could form a pivotal part of the prosecution’s case in one of Nigeria’s longest-running terrorism trials.
