From the dock, one of the three suspected Lebanese terrorists, Mr Talai Ahmed Rhoda, facing terrorism charge before an Abuja Federal High Court, yesterday sang like a parrot on how his fellow countrymen engaged in illegal importation of prohibited firearms into Nigeria for decades, targeted all Israelis interests in the country and plotted to kill Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, on Nigerian soil.
Although he did not mention any of the co-accused persons as members of the criminal ring engaging in the illegal and criminal activities, he fingered one Abdulhassan Tahir, also a Lebanese, as the arrowhead.
Rhoda told the court yesterday that Tahir had however fled the country before the security operatives spread out their dragnets for him.
He also confessed working for him to tender a large bunker located in Gaya Street, Kano, which is now in evidence in the case.
He specifically admitted that he was a resident at 3 Gaya Road in Kano as a squatter but had good knowledge of the arms in the bunker. He admitted having knowledge of the weapons and helped in servicing the arms on the instruction of the owner of the said property at 3 Gaya Road, Kano, one Abdulhassan Tahir.
He however added that he never knew whetehr or not Tahir sought or got the permission of the federal government to engage in the importation of the prohibited arms.
His words: “Tahir told me that those arms were licensed and I had no reason whatsoever not to believe him. I was also afraid to report to the police because I felt it might be a risk for me. “In 1995, we went to the house where the weapons were kept and I helped Issah. I helped in carrying boxes to the house. I saw AK-47, land mine. “I cleaned the coolers.
We bought them in Sabongari and I gave them to Issah, we put it on top of the ground. Issah did the changing of the boxes. I am not aware of the contents of the boxes.
The AK-47 I saw was also in the house at Gaya road.” Rhoda is the third accused person in the terrorism charge preferred against the three Lebanese businessmen by the federal government and the first to give evidence in the matter for the defence.
He further stunned the court yesterday when he confessed that though he was conscious of the legal implication of what his countrymen were doing in Nigeria he was afraid that he could be killed with the life of his only daughter imperilled if he reported to the police.
He also confirmed that there was a plot to assassinate the ambassador of Israel on Nigerian soil while he added that the Israelis interests were also targeted by the Lebanese.
But he quickly added that he got the information from Tahir who is presently on the run. The suspect also confirmed the alleged surveillance on Saudi Arabia Embassy and the plot to kill the ambassador. “I was told of the story by Abdulhassan Tahir, owner of 3 Gaya Road.
But Tahir didn’t say they succeeded in killing the Saudi Ambassador in Nigeria,” Rhoda stated. He said further that “When I went for my daughter’s wedding, Issah, a Hezbollah member asked me to give him information on Israeli interests in Nigeria, which I refused”.
He admitted being afraid of his involvement with friends, saying, “sometimes I was afraid of my life due to the life around me. “I left Nigeria in 2008 and returned in 2010.
Then, I wasn’t allowed to mention anything to anybody. I didn’t because my life was at stake and I feared for my beautiful daughter”.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese, who opened their defence yesterday after the prosecution had closed its case on Wednesday had applied through their counsel, Raji Ahmed, for relocation to prison, claiming the SSS facility in which they had been detained for was no longer conducive for them.
“We have more defence witnesses, and our application is seeking to move the accused persons to a different custody, preferably Kuje prison or any other facility in Abuja to guarantee them serenity of mind” Raji said.
“The 1st and 2nd accused persons are afraid to stay in the DSS custody anymore. They should be transferred to a neutral place so that they can come to court with a free mind and express themselves in the evidence they shall give before this court,” he added.
More so, Raji said the accused person’s demand was not borne out of disrespect for the DSS but that they were no longer comfortable based on strange experiences they have had being detained in the DSS custody.
The prosecuting counsel, Simon Egede, did not oppose the application but wondered why they would prefer prison custody when the SSS facility is good for them. Subsequently, Justice Ademola Adeniyi granted the application and ordered that the suspects be taken to Kuje prison.
NATIONAL MIRROR
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