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Abuja UN House Bombing : Court Fix December 5 for Continuation of Trials
The DSS accuse the five terror suspects led Al-Barnawi, of being the masterminds of the August 26, 2011, bombing of the United Nations Complex in Abuja.
UN Complex Bombing: Court Admits Evidence in DSS Case Against Al-Barnawi, Other Terror Suspects
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday admitted in evidence three video clips supplied by the Department of State Services (DSS) to puncture claims of duress by five suspected masterminds of the 2011 bombing of the United Nations complex in Abuja facing trial.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, fixed December 5 for continuation of the trial-within-trial of five defendants, including Khalid Al‑Barnawi.
The trial -within – trial, will involve the playback of video clips in the courtroom to determine the veracity of claims by the defendants that they made their extra-judicial statements before the DSS under duress.
The DSS accuse the five terror suspects led Al-Barnawi, of being the masterminds of the August 26, 2011, bombing of the United Nations Complex in Abuja.
At least 20 people were killed and more than 70 others injured in the attack.Captured in 2016, Al-Barnawi is facing trial alongside four other terror suspects – Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello aka Datti, Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu aka Bello Maishayi.
The trial suffered several delays due to legal and procedural challenges thrown up by the defendants, including the absence of legal representation on several occasions the suspects were brought to court.
However, all that changed after Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi’s appointment as Director – General, with him insisting on speedy trial for suspects he inherited as well as for those arrested under his watch.
The DSS recently requested the court to grant accelerated hearing in the case, a request Justice Nwite granted, same way judges trying DSS cases against terror suspects Mahmud Muhammad Usman aka Mahmuda, Muhammed Usman aka Abu Bara’a, as well as those standing trial in the Yelwata and Benue massacres, have obliged the DSS DG’s request for speedy trial.
Following the conclusion of playing back the video clip of the first defendant, Justice Nwite fixed December 5 for the commencement of playing back the video clips of the on other defendants.
Earlier on Friday, Justice Nwite had admitted the extra-judicial statements made by three other persons charged by the DSS for alleged terrorism.
The trio are being tried for allegedly spying on the US, and Israel s interests for certain individuals in Iran.
Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa and Adam Sulaiman were accused of spying on the US, and Israel ‘s interests for individuals in Iran.
The case, which had been ongoing since 2014 and re-assigned multiple times, reached a point in August 2025 during a trial-within-trial to determine if the defendants’ alleged extra-judicial statements were made voluntarily or under duress.
While the defendants claimed that they were coerced, harassed and intimidated to make their statement, the prosecution held that the statements were made voluntarily.
The prosecution claimed that the accused persons read through the statements, through the cautionary words and signed, hence, should be admitted in evidence. Justice Nwite who ordered a trial within trial allowed both parties to call witnesses who gave evidence.
The prosecution who called three witnesses said they conducted their operations within the best standard procedure, as they paid attention to the welfare of suspects in their custody in terms of food and medication while also allowing them access to their families.
The defendants on the other hand recounted their alleged torture in the DSS facility, alleging that they were beaten and given inhuman treatment.
After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense counsel, Justice Nwite ruled that the defendants statements be admitted in evidence.
The Judge held that the prosecution through the witnesses proved to the court that they were not forced to make their statements.Justice Nwite after admitting the statements as exhibits adjourned the matter to January 22, 2026 for substantive hearing.
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Nigeria to Send Troops for Peacekeeping in the Republic of Benin
In the letter, the appeal follows an urgent request from the Government of the Republic of Benin for exceptional and immediate air support from the Nigerian Armed Forces.
President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking its approval to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin for the purpose of peacekeeping in the aftermath of a coup.
The request is conveyed in a letter read during the plenary by the Senate President , Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday.
President Tinubu cited Section 5, Subsection 5, Part 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), following consultations with the National Defence Council.
In the letter, the appeal follows an urgent request from the Government of the Republic of Benin for exceptional and immediate air support from the Nigerian Armed Forces.
President Tinubu explains that Benin is currently facing an attempted unconstitutional seizure of power, leading to the disruption and destabilization of its democratic institutions.
He notes that the situation requires swift external intervention.
He emphasizes that, given the close ties of brotherhood between both nations and the principles of collective security under ECOWAS, Nigeria has a duty to provide the necessary support..
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Burkina Faso grounds Nigerian military aircraft over airspace violations
The military aircraft had two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers on board, all military personnel.
The Government of Burkina Faso said a Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 11 soldiers was forced to land in the country on Monday after reportedly violating its airspace.
The development was reported by the Agence d’Information du Burkina, the state-run news agency, which published a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States.
The statement, translated from French, read, “The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C130 aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabe airspace.
The military aircraft had two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers on board, all military personnel.
”The statement added that an investigation by Burkinabe authorities “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
The AES condemned the incident as a violation of sovereignty, saying it “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”
The body warned that “air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederate space put on maximum alert…were authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
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Obasanjo shares four pillars to end insurgency in Nigeria
Obasanjo emphasised that the civil war lasted for 30 months. Although we thought it would last for six months. But this fight against insurgents and criminals has lasted for almost 15 years.
FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo says that Nigerian government needs a combination of training, equipment, intelligence, and technology to end insurgency.
Obasanjo, during an appearance on the ‘Toyin Falola Interviews’ conversation, which was live-streamed on social media, noted that the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria has lasted longer than the country’s civil war that took place between 1967 and 1970.
Obasanjo emphasised that the civil war lasted for 30 months. Although we thought it would last for six months. But this fight against insurgents and criminals has lasted for almost 15 years.
”There is nothing wrong with Nigerian military personnel receiving training in countries that have solved the insurgency challenge,”he added.
Citing his experience with the Niger Delta militancy, he said that he will not rule out the tendency of security personnel colluding with insurgents.
His words: “There are four important items and I hope that those who are in charge — military, executive, and legislature — know what they are doing.
First, there is training. There are different types of training.
The military is trained for conventional war.“If the people you are dealing with are fleeting targets or living among your people, you will need different types of training to deal with them.
“Among the countries that have done that fairly successfully is Colombia. Should we invite them to train our people? There is no shame in that. It is a specialised type of training.“
There is the equipment. The equipment to fight that type of warfare. It differs from equipment for conventional warfare.
The other one is intelligence. You need absolute intelligence. Can others trust us with the intelligence that they have?“The fourth one is technology. These four have to come together and do other things internally.
“Then you ask the military to be the one buying equipment. It is not done. The whole thing is an industry. It is an industry,” he said.
Nigeria to Send Troops for Peacekeeping in the Republic of Benin
Burkina Faso grounds Nigerian military aircraft over airspace violations
Obasanjo shares four pillars to end insurgency in Nigeria
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