Court Adjourns Trial of Nigerian Journalist Jones Abiri’s Trial
Halimah Yahaya
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned to October 16 the continuation of the trial of a journalist, Jones Abiri.
Mr Abiri was arraigned on May 24 for alleged economic sabotage and terrorism by the Nigerian government.
Federal prosecutors filed three counts of terrorism, economic sabotage, and fraud against Mr Abiri.
According to the charge sheet published by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abiri reportedly sent text messages from his phone number to Shell and Agip officials, ”threatening to blow their oil installations if his demands were not met”.
The Bayelsa-based journalist was also accused of leading a gang of activists to blow up pipelines in Bayelsa.
All the offences allegedly took place between June and July 2016.
The charges came nine months after Mr Abiri was freed from the custody of the State Security Service, after spending two years there without trial.
The journalist has denied all allegations.
He said he was being targeted for his media work that put a spotlight on the controversial conduct of oil companies and the Nigerian government in the Niger Delta.
His ordeal has been a major topic of discussion amongst media rights advocates, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalist asking for all charges to be dropped.
The court presided over by Ijeoma Ojukwu, on June 24 granted Mr Abiri bail saying that the crime for which he is charged for, is bailable ”under special circumstance as provided under section 161 of the Administrative of Criminal Justice Act, 2015”.
As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the defendants pay N100 million with one surety in like sum.
“The surety must be the owner of landed property in Abuja.
“Applicant must remain in jail until he fulfils the bail condition,” Mrs Ojukwu added.
Mr Abiri is still in custody as he is yet to meet up with these conditions.
Speaking with Newsmen, Monday evening, his lawyer, Samuel Ogala, said they were working on meeting the bail conditions.
According to him, even though the court is on vacation, ”once those bail conditions are met, Mr Abiri would be released”.
“But if we are not able to achieve that, we would apply for a variation.
“Once that is done, a vacation judge would be assigned to hear the matter.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned to October 16 the continuation of the trial of a journalist, Jones Abiri.
Mr Abiri was arraigned on May 24 for alleged economic sabotage and terrorism by the Nigerian government.
Federal prosecutors filed three counts of terrorism, economic sabotage, and fraud against Mr Abiri.
According to the charge sheet published by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abiri reportedly sent text messages from his phone number to Shell and Agip officials, ”threatening to blow their oil installations if his demands were not met”.
The Bayelsa-based journalist was also accused of leading a gang of activists to blow up pipelines in Bayelsa.
All the offences allegedly took place between June and July 2016.
The charges came nine months after Mr Abiri was freed from the custody of the State Security Service, after spending two years there without trial.
The journalist has denied all allegations.
He said he was being targeted for his media work that put a spotlight on the controversial conduct of oil companies and the Nigerian government in the Niger Delta.
His ordeal has been a major topic of discussion amongst media rights advocates, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalist asking for all charges to be dropped.
The court presided over by Ijeoma Ojukwu, on June 24 granted Mr Abiri bail saying that the crime for which he is charged for, is bailable ”under special circumstance as provided under section 161 of the Administrative of Criminal Justice Act, 2015”.
As part of the bail conditions, the judge ordered that the defendants pay N100 million with one surety in like sum.
“The surety must be the owner of landed property in Abuja.
“Applicant must remain in jail until he fulfils the bail condition,” Mrs Ojukwu added.
Mr Abiri is still in custody as he is yet to meet up with these conditions.
Speaking with Newsmen, Monday evening, his lawyer, Samuel Ogala, said they were working on meeting the bail conditions.
According to him, even though the court is on vacation, ”once those bail conditions are met, Mr Abiri would be released”.
“But if we are not able to achieve that, we would apply for a variation.
“Once that is done, a vacation judge would be assigned to hear the matter.
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