The co-owner of Amigo Supermarket, Mustapha Fawaz, and three other Lebanese – Abdalah Tahini, Talal Rouda and Khosai Nouridine – arrested in connection with the armoury and Hezbollah terror cell in Bompai, Kano State, are terrorists, according to the Federal Government.
The Federal Government has filed six counts of terrorism against the Lebanese suspects before an Abuja Federal High Court.
The suit was filed on Thursday, June 20, 2013, but no date has been fixed for the arraignment of the suspects.
This emerged on Friday in the course of
hearing an application filed by the Lebanese before an Abuja FHC to
challenge their arrest and detention.
The Lebanese joined the State Security
Service, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice as defendants in the suit in which
they demanded N50bn compensation, as well as an order restraining the
Federal Government from extraditing them without following the due
process.
In their response to a counter-affidavit
in which the SSS opposed their application for the enforcement of their
fundamental human rights, the suspects had claimed that Hezbollah was
not a terrorist organisation.
They maintained that the group was a
lawful political party in Lebanon, and, in a bid to drive home their
argument that it was a harmless organisation, attached a picture which
purportedly showed President Goodluck Jonathan shaking hands with a
Lebanese, who they claimed was a ranking Hezbollah official.
The suspects also claimed that the
prohibited firearms discovered in Fawaz’s residences at Wonderland
Amusement Park, Abuja, and 58 Adetokumbo Ademola Street, Wuse 2, Abuja,
were meant for hunting.
Counsel to the SSS, Mr. Cliff Osagie,
opposed the application filed by the Lebanese, and advanced reasons why
the security agency should continue to hold onto the suspects.
Disputing the Lebanese’s claims that
their continued detention in SSS custody was unlawful, Osagie informed
the court that, following the withdrawal of an initial charge filed
against the suspects before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Karu, a town
on the outskirts of Abuja, the Federal Government had filed a fresh
terrorism-related charge against them before the Abuja FHC.
Reacting to the photograph attached by
the Lebanese in their affidavit, Osagie said, “The applicants (suspects)
went and attached pictures of somebody who they said is a member of the
Hezbollah (political party) shaking hands with Mr. President and
claimed that Mr. President was aware that he is a Hezbollah member.
“If they were good enough to attach the
pictures, they should also have been good enough to attach the register
of the membership of Hezbollah, which they said is a political party.”
The SSS counsel insisted that the
Lebanese are terrorists, stressing that the Federal Government did not
accuse them of being members of Hezbollah; rather, he said they were
accused of being members of the Hezbollah military wing, a terrorist
organisation.
He also asked the court to discountenance the suspects’ claim that the weapons were meant for hunting.
The SSS lawyer told the court that the activities of the Lebanese suspects threatened the security and wellbeing of Nigeria.
He urged the court to dismiss the application.
Justice Ademola adjourned the matter till Monday, June 24, 2013, for continuation of argument.
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u wey no sell bear dey deal in arms say na for hunting. na wah for ppl greed and wickedness ooo.
ReplyDeleteWho shld investigate and tell us who this CRIMINALSA( AMIGO & his LEBANSE) are SELLING the arms to.
ReplyDeleteWe know ONE of their CUSTOMER, but let us get details of other CLIENTS.
Hunting ? Even in america does r not d types of weapons for hunting ! How could u use hand grenade bombs for hunting ? Including RPG's and ak 47 gunz which was all discovered in ur buildin in kano ? I don't bliev it jooh.
ReplyDeleteAnd is Nigeria a jungle they want to use dos deadly weaponz and hunt ? And how can business men like u be busy with business and hunting ? Where will dey even do d hunting ? Which jungle dey kano state ? And den y did dey hide d weaponz underground if it was really for hunting ? Am not convinced ! U are all terrorist workin wit Hezbollah.. Ur all members to it all d same since u said its not a terror group but a political party !
I will not forgive d government of Nigeria if they let such people dat import and hide deadly weaponz in our country for various reasonz go for free !
Have we the innocent Nigerians turned to ANIMALS in our own country that these idiots claim all those dangerous weapons are for hunting? There is nothing we have not suffered from or heard from these Lebanese. Such an insult!
ReplyDelete