2010 Independence Day Explosion: Okah closes case

Mr. Okah and Nwabueze Obi were charged with the offence by the State Security Service, SSS. The charges followed a bomb blast that disrupted Nigeria’s Independence Day activities at the Eagle Square in Abuja attended by former President Goodluck Jonathan. The SSS accused Mr. Okah of being behind the bomb blast, which killed over a dozen people and wounded many. His elder brother, Henry, is in prison in South Africa after being convicted of terrorism. The SSS had also accused the defendants of treasonable offences, stressing that the attack was targeted at former President Jonathan. The terrorism charge was, however, struck out by Justice Gabriel Kolawole who ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case of treasonable offences against the defendants. The court, however, agreed with the submission of the prosecution that the defendants were linked to funds used for the purpose of terrorism. The defendants had made a no-case-submission after the prosecution closed its case in January but were compelled to present their witnesses after the court decided that they have a case to answer. After presenting their last witness, counsel to the second defendant, O. O. Etim, informed the court that the defence had closed their case. Subsequently the court adjourned the matter till January 24 for counsel to submit their written addresses before final determination of the matter. Mr. Okah is a younger brother to Henry Okah, leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND. The elder Okah was convicted in South Africa for terrorism-related offences.]]>