The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the four charges of terrorism brought against former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South).
Ndume was set free of the charges by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on the grounds that no prima facie case was established against the lawmaker.
Delivering judgment in a no-case submission argued by Ricky Tarfa (SAN) on behalf of the Senator, Justice Kolawole held that the prosecution failed on all fronts to link the defendant with the alleged crime of hoarding information on terrorism activities and sponsoring the Boko Haram sect.
The judge, while striking out all the four charges, faulted the prosecution for failing to call eminent personalities to give evidence in respect TO the charges against the defendant.
Specifically, the judge said that while the defendant admitted to having made contact with Boko Haram members as a member of the presidential committee on security challenges in the North-East and volunteering information to the director of the Department of State Security (DSS) in the National Assembly and former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the prosecution did not invite them to give evidence in the trial.
Justice Kolawole said the failure of the prosecution to invite those people to give evidence was fatal to the case as it hindered the prosecution from discharging the burden of proof as required by law.
