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Detained Lebanese Nationals Battle For Freedom

 The Three Lebanese held by the Federal Government for illegal arms dealing has sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for unlawful detention. The suspects have … Continue reading Detained Lebanese Nationals Battle For Freedom


 The Three Lebanese held by the Federal Government for illegal arms dealing has sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for unlawful detention.

The suspects have been under the custody of the Nigerian government since last month after a huge arms cache was discovered in their residences.

Each of three suspects namely Abdallah Thaini,Mustapha Fawaz and Talal Roda are claiming for damages for their arrest and detention since May 11, 2013 without trial a sum of one billion naira each.

At a resumed sitting of the court, counsel to the accused person Ahmed Raji told a Federal High Court to discountenance the claims by the State Security Service that the suspects were terrorists who belong to Hezbollah military wing because they have no evidence to back up the claims.

Department of State Security Service through its lawyer Mr. Clifford Osagie told the court of the discovery of prohibited weapons in their residences in the northern city of Kano.

In furtherance, Osagie told the court that their arrest and subsequent detention was on the order of court and also the accused persons are suspected members of an international terrorist organisation, the Hezbollah military wing.

He however informed the court that the country’s Attorney General has already filed a six-count charge bordering on terrorism against the suspects as such the court should reject the bail application.

it would be recalled that on May 28, a combine team of the Joint Task Force (JTF) involving operatives of the Nigeria Army, and the DSS in Kano conducted a search of a house located at No3 Gaya road off Bompai road allegedly belonging to one Abdul Hassan Taher Fadlalla-a Lebanese national.

After searching the building, the security agents uncovered an underground bunker in the master’s bed room where these large quantities of assorted weapons of different type and calibre were found.

A raid on the residence of one of the Lebanese had uncovered eleven 60 mm anti-tank weapons, four anti-tank landmines, two rounds of ammunition for a 122 mm artillery gun, 21 rocket-propelled grenades, seventeen AK-47s with more than 11,000 bullets and dynamite.

The discoveries according to the officers confirm the existence of Hezbollah cell in Nigeria.

A statement by the military spokesperson in Kano, Captain Ikedichi Iweha on Wednesday announced that three suspects were arrested between May 16 and May 28 and they all admitted to being members of Hezbollah under questioning.