TIMIPRE SYLVA IMPLICATED
A star prosecution witness, Mr. Edmund Ebiware, standing trial along with three others for complicity in October 1, 2010 bombings in Abuja, yesterday said that the immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, had prior knowledge of the incident. He did not expatiate further. The witness, whose real name was not disclosed in court yesterday for security reasons but simply identified as Mr. “X”, testified for the State Security Service, SSS, which is prosecuting the accused persons in the matter.
National Mirror recalls that many of the suspects were arrested after the blasts but only four suspects were charged to court with levying war against the state in order to intimidate President Goodluck Jonathan.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 37(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 77 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 1990.
Other accused persons are Charles Okah, Obi Nwabueze and Tiemkemfa Osuvwo.
They were also accused of terrorism and conspiracy to commit treason, contrary to Section 40 (2) of the Criminal Code CAP 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990. Of the four, Osuvwo, had died in detention.
Ebiware was specifically accused of withholding information on the planned attack by not using reason-able means to leak the information to the President and security agents to foil the planned attack. Although Okah and Nwabueze are still challenging the charge against them, Ebiware applied for separate trial, saying he wanted his case heard and determined.
He was in the dock yesterday, face-to-face with the star prosecution witness in the case.Mr. “X”, who mounted the witness box to give evidence in the matter, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he informed the ex-Governor Sylva that Okah was planning to detonate bombs on October 1, 2010.
The witness said other people he informed about the plan to detonate bombs during the Independence Day celebration were one of the former Niger Delta militants, Ebikabowei Victor Ben, a.k.a Boyloaf and Selekaye Victor Ben.
Mr. “X” also confessed before the court that he and one Emmanuel Harrison participated in the Warri town bombing of March 15, 2010.
He said in his testimony: “I knew Edmund through Stanley Ogbakyri. I knew Okah, too, and we have each other’s phone numbers. And we do talk on phone.
“I knew with the look of things, Okah wanted to cause more problems af-ter amnesty programme because Okah felt the programme was no longer going the way it was origi-nally designed to be.
“As at September 2010, I knew that there would be a bomb blast in Abuja.
I received a phone call from Emma Harrisson that Henry Okah will bomb Abuja on October 1, 2010. I called Edmund and told him what I heard. He did not say anything.
“I reported what Har-rison told me to Boyloaf and Victo Ben.
I reported to Sylva as well as Zion Amanda who was then serving as the Secretary of Brass LGA. Amanda is very close to Sylva and I knew he was also going to tell Sylva, too,’’ Mr. “X” said.
It will be recalled that both Henry and Charles Okah had denied any involvement in the bombing.
Another witness, SSS Director of Operation, Mr. Mathew Seiyefa, also told the court that after Edmund was arrested and be-ing interrogated, the SSS headquarters summoned him to confront the suspect.
Before then, the suspect had told his interrogators that he duly informed him that there would be bomb blast in Abuja in October 1.
Seifeya said the amnesty boss, Dr. (Mrs. ) Tinibei Koripamo-Adary, had earlier introduced Edmund to him as one of the former militants assisting them in the implementation of the programme
However, when he confronted Edmund in their headquarters, he repeated his earlier statement that he had prior knowledge of the plan to detonate bomb in Abuja.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, however, adjourned till July 19 for the continuation of the trial.
At the last adjourned date, the SSS had told the Abuja Federal High Court that Ebiware was involved in the planning and execu-tion of the dastardly act.
While being cross-examined by Ebiware’s lawyer, Goddy Uche, an Assistant Di-rector of the SSS, Mr. Abdul Abubakar, said their investigation showed that the suspect was one of the greatest loyalists of the prime mastermind of the twin-bomb detonation, Okah.
“Edmund was in constant communication with Okah in South Africa from planning up to the execution stage of the bomb explosions.
“Okah told him categorically that he would strike and cause mayhem in Nigeria because the amnesty programme was no longer being carried out as earlier planned,’’ Abubakar said.
Justice Kolawole had on May 3 granted Edmund’s application for an independent trial after the suspect claimed that he had no relationship with the other suspects.
The applicant said his trial with other accused would be a distraction for his defence because he had no contact with them until their arrest.
In his ruling, Justice Kolawole said: “This applicant has asked for a separate trial and in the absence of any valid opposition, the court shall have no option but to grant the application.
“The accused has repeatedly held that he was wrongly charged with those accused to have orchestrated the Independence Day bombing in Abuja.
“The law is trite, and therefore, the court is obliged to grant the accused applicant’s prayer for a separate trial. The granting of the prayer would not in any way negate the charges brought against him.
“This is the dynamics in law, all is to ensure justice for all. The new process will not also affect the evidence available to the prosecutor.
“The name of the third accused person (Edmund Ebiware) is hereby sev-ered from the list of those charged for the October 1, 2010 bombing in Abuja.”
Source: National Mirror
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