As the trial of Dr. Muhammed Nazeef Yunus and two others accused of acts of terrorism begins in Abuja, a Federal High Court has ordered a partial secret trial in order to protect the identity of witnesses.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole gave the order while ruling on the motion brought by the Federal Government seeking to have a secret trial of the suspects.
The judge said that witnesses testifying during the public trial of the university lecturer, Dr. Muhammed Yunus, Salami Abdullahi and Musa Umar should be shielded or wear masks to cover their identities.
The court also ordered that witnesses who are to testify in court would not disclose their residential addresses but use the headquarters of the Department of State Security as their addresses.
Giving reasons why the witnesses should be shielded, Justice Kolawole said that care must be taken not to expose witnesses to attack by any group or individual and also to prevent creating a situation where the state cannot find witnesses to testify.
The accused persons: an Islamic scholar and a university lecturer, Dr. Muhammed Nazeef Yunus, Salami Abdullahi and Musa Umar are being tried on an eight count charge bordering on alleged terrorism, an offence that runs contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013 (as amended).
