Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind behind the horrific April 14, 2014 bomb blast at the Nyanya Motor Park in Abuja, which killed 75 people and injured over 124 others, has broken his silence in court, protesting the staggering 11-year delay in his terrorism trial.
Ogwuche, who was extradited from Sudan in July 2014, told the Federal High Court in Abuja through his lawyer, Abdusalam Abas, that the federal government has failed to prosecute the seven-count terrorism charge against him and four co-defendants. According to him, the case has suffered 97 adjournments, mostly on what he described as “flimsy excuses” by the prosecution.
In a dramatic turn of events in court on Thursday, Ogwuche demanded that the charges be struck out for lack of diligent prosecution. He alleged that not only had the government abandoned the case, but also left him languishing in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) with limited access to family, lawyers, and basic rights.
Justice Peter Lifu, visibly displeased with the state’s conduct, condemned the repeated delays, declaring that the federal government’s excuses lacked any “reasonable, cogent and compelling justification.” He emphasized that the case had been pending since December 12, 2014, making the prolonged detention without trial “absurd” and a clear violation of fundamental human rights and legal principles.
“To say the least, against all known logic, reason, and common sense, it looks absurd in light of our much-cherished principles of presumption of innocence, fundamental liberty, and human rights jurisprudence,” the judge remarked.
Though admitting that he had considered striking out the charges immediately, Justice Lifu said he would give the prosecution one final opportunity to proceed with the trial. He warned that if the federal government fails to present its witnesses on June 18 and 19, 2025, the court would have no choice but to terminate the case.
In response to complaints by defense lawyers, the judge also ordered the Director-General of the DSS to grant the defendants access to their counsel, immediate family members, and trusted associates to enable proper defence preparation.
The terrorism charges include allegations of conspiracy, acts of terrorism, membership of Boko Haram, and failure to provide intelligence that could have averted attacks. Ogwuche is also accused of financing the widows of slain Boko Haram fighters and plotting attacks on targets such as the Silverbird Galleria in Abuja.
Two previous judges—Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Ahmed Ramat Mohammed—had handled the case but were unable to make progress due to the prosecution’s consistent lack of readiness. Notably, Justice Ademola had previously struck out an earlier 2-count charge against Ogwuche in November 2014 for the same reason.
Ogwuche, a native of Benue State who was 29 at the time of the incident, now finds himself in the center of a legal and moral storm — one that raises serious questions about Nigeria’s justice system, the rights of suspects, and the responsibilities of the state.
The nation watches closely as June 18 approaches — a date that may either revive justice for the victims of Nyanya or mark the collapse of one of Nigeria’s most high-profile terrorism trials.
