Bomber: I Went to Destroy THISDAY on Revenge Mission

Umar Mustapha, charged with the bombing of SOJ Plaza in Kaduna occupied by THISDAY, The Moment and Sun Newspapers said he did so out of vengeance. Umar who also threatened that the first witness would be killed for daring to testify against him was said to have told police investigator that he went to destroy THISDAY newspapers on a revenge mission.
The prosecution called two witnesses Tuesday. They were police officials. They wore mask to conceal their identity, in view of the court's decision to protect their identity. The first of the witnesses, a female police officer, said she served at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Kaduna during the incident. In her evidence, she said that as the Investigating Police Officer, she took the statement of the accused person. She said that Mustapha confessed to have committed the act. In her words: "My Lord, the accused person told me in Hausa that he attempted to blow up the entire THISDAY office as a revenge mission." She told the court that the accused person told her that he took the explosive to where THISDAY office was located because he wanted to revenge against the newspaper. At the point when the prosecution moved to tender the statement in evidence, the defence counsel, Mr. Sulaiman Nureni opposed on the grounds that the accused, who spoke in Hausa, denied making the statement. Sulaiman told the court that his client said he was unconscious through out his stay in the police clinic where he was said to have made the statement. He urged the court not to admit it. However, Justice Adeniyi, in a bench ruling, admitted the statement on the grounds that it was relevant to the case. The second prosecution witness, a male Chief Superintendent of Police, said he also served at the State Criminal Investigation Department at the time of the incident. He told the court how he, with the aid of some escorts, conveyed the accused person to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abuja. Also at the resumed trial, prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that the accused person made pronouncement of death on the life of the first prosecution witness during proceedings on Monday. He alleged that: "Many have heard the accused person say in Hausa Language that the witness shall be killed for testifying against him. "My Lord, I thought you heard him because it was not long that you directed that the witnesses be made not to enter the court through the axis where the accused was docked." Counsel to the accused, Sulaiman Nureni, interjected and denied that such a threat ever came from his client. When asked, the Hausa interpreter in the case, (name with held) confirmed the threat. The interpreter said the accused person wished death for the first witness for lying against him while giving evidence. The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, consequently warned the suspect to desist from further verbal threat in the court. Umaru is standing trial on a one-count charge under the Terrorist Prevention Act 2011 slammed on him by the police. The judge said: "The allegation of threat to the life of a witness made by the accused person is taken seriously. "I believed the accused person has said those things but I want to warn you to desist from that because a threat on witnesses is a threat against all of us and against the court. "It is therefore incumbent on the defence counsel, Mr. Suleiman Nurunei, and his team to ensure that the accused person is well behaved. "There shall be no repeat of such thing as it will not be tolerated." The star witness in the trial which was shielded from members of the public, except journalists, wearing a mask, identified the accused person as the man who bombed THISDAY premises on April 26, 2012 in Kaduna. He said the accused person implanted 12 camp gas cylinders as improvised bombs connected with wires to the steering of the car he (Mustapha) used for the operation. Another prosecution witness who testified explained that the police authority directed him to transfer the accused person to the Headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja. According to him. "I was ordered by my superior officer to convey the accused person in Police Clinic Ambulance with full security escort which I led to Abuja on April 26 by 11:30 pm. "I was told that he was a suspect rescued from the scene of bomb blast at Kontogora Road, Kaduna earlier in the day," he said. After taking all the prosecution witnesses, the court adjourned till May 14 and 30, while June 4 and 5 were fixed for the accused person to open his defence. ---THISDAY