Court Approves DSS Request for Accelerated Trial of UN Building Bombing Suspect Al-Barnawi, Four Others
The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking to fast-track the trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the 2011 United Nations building bombing in Abuja, alongside four co-defendants.
Al-Barnawi, who was arrested by the DSS in Lokoja, Kogi State, in April 2016—five years after the attack—faces trial over his alleged role in the August 26, 2011 bombing that killed more than 20 people and injured over 70 others. The attack was the first of its kind on an international institution in Nigeria.
At Friday’s proceedings, DSS counsel Alex Iziyon (SAN) requested the court to accelerate the case, stressing that the agency was prepared to ensure timely determination. The motion, which was unopposed by defense lawyers, included a request for video evidence to be admitted in court. The DSS intends to show recordings indicating that the defendants’ statements were made voluntarily, countering claims of coercion.
The court directed that the video sessions be viewed in the presence of the court registrar, with notes taken by all parties. The trial within trial will resume on October 23 and 24 for continuation.
Although proceedings against Al-Barnawi commenced soon after his 2016 arrest, multiple procedural and administrative delays have hindered progress.
Al-Barnawi, also known by several aliases including Kafuri, Naziru, Alhaji Yahaya, Mallam Dauda, and Alhaji Tanimu, was once a senior figure in Boko Haram before breaking away to lead Jama’at Ansarul Muslimin Fi Biladis Sudan (JAMBS), an offshoot of the Islamist sect.
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