SAN FRANCISCO, June 01, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday struck out a treasonable felony charge levelled against the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja, Charles Okah.
The federal government had brought charges of treason and terrorism against Okah for allegedly masterminding the October 1, 2010 bomb blast, which occurred around the Eagle Square in Abuja.
The presiding judge, Mr. Gabriel Kolawole said he dismissed the treason charge because the evidence cited in court did not prove that then President Goodluck Jonathan, who was at the Eagle Square, the target of the blast, was intimidated by the attack.
He said the evidence failed to prove that Jonathan was sneaked out of the eagle square, venue of the 50th anniversary celebration of Nigeria’s independence.
Kolawole said the evidence did not prove a case of treason as contained in count one of the charge.
He also said the evidence cited by the prosecution failed to prove that governors who attended a meeting on March 15, 2010 in Warri, Delta State, where another blast occured, were also intimidated.
Okah, who has been in prison since 2011, had filed a no-case submission application after the prosecution concluded its bit in his trial.
The judge however dismissed the no-case submission filed by Okah and ordered him to open his defence.
THEWILL recalls that former President Goodluck Jonathan, while
on a campaign trail in Lagos in 2014, had stated that he was the target of the 2010 attack. Okah is a member of the disbanded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.
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