The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an application filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) for an accelerated hearing in the ongoing terrorism trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, the suspected mastermind of the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja.
Al-Barnawi is being prosecuted alongside four others on charges related to terrorism, including their alleged involvement with the Ansaru terrorist group — a faction known for its ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Justice Nwite granted the DSS’s request for accelerated proceedings during a hearing this week. The application, filed through DSS counsel Alex Iziyon (SAN), argued that the prosecution is fully prepared to proceed with the trial efficiently.
“We are committed to ensuring this case is determined without further delays,” Iziyon told the court.
Lawyers representing the defendants did not oppose the motion. The court also ruled that video recordings presented by the DSS — aimed at proving that the defendants’ confessions were made voluntarily — would be admitted during a trial-within-trial.
The case was adjourned to October 23 and 24 for the continuation of proceedings.
Khalid Al-Barnawi, a designated global terrorist by the United States, is accused of coordinating the 2011 suicide bombing of the UN Headquarters in Abuja, which left over 20 people dead and more than 70 injured. The attack marked the first assault on an international organization in Nigeria and drew global condemnation.
Al-Barnawi was arrested in April 2016 by the DSS in Lokoja, Kogi State, ending a five-year manhunt. The U.S. government had earlier placed a $5 million bounty on him, branding him as one of three top Nigerian global terrorists.https://www.channelstv.com/2025/09/12/alleged-terrorism-dss-resumes-prosecution-of-ansaru-commander-al-barnawi-four-others/
