Africa-Press – Nigeria. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has approved an accelerated hearing in the trial of three men accused of spying on the United States and Israeli embassies in Nigeria on behalf of foreign interests.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request on Wednesday after the prosecution, led by Bello Abu, applied for a speedy trial, a move that was not opposed by defence counsel.
The defendants, Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa, and Adam Suleiman, were arrested in Kano and Lagos States in 2013 over alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to Iran.
During proceedings, a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS), identified as James Simon, told the court that Abbas admitted to being recruited to gather intelligence on American and Israeli interests in Nigeria.
According to Simon, the first defendant detailed how he was trained abroad and later helped facilitate the recruitment of other Nigerians into the network.
“He confessed that his mission included surveillance, counter-surveillance, and intelligence gathering, particularly on the American and Israeli embassies,” the witness told the court.
Simon added that Abbas disclosed being trained by Iranian military personnel in areas such as information security, recruitment strategies, and basic weapons handling.
He further revealed that part of the assignment involved compiling and transmitting open-source intelligence.
“The act of involving non-military personnel in surveillance, recruitment, and weapon handling amounts to terrorism,” the DSS official stated during cross-examination.
Reading from the defendant’s statement, the witness said Abbas admitted that his role included “sending information concerning the American and Israeli embassies” and identifying individuals for further training.
The court heard that some recruits were allegedly sent abroad for instruction, with Abbas tasked to coordinate their participation.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter until April 1 for continuation of hearing.
In a related development, proceedings also continued in the trial of suspects linked to the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
One of the defendants, Al Qasim Idris, told the court he could neither read nor write in English and therefore did not personally record his statement.
He, however, acknowledged receiving medical care while in custody.
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