Saidi Adewumi, standing trial alongside Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, for allegedly recruiting new members for an Iran-based terrorist organisation on Monday, told a Federal High Court, Abuja, that he was tortured and manhandled by officials of the State Security Services (SSS), during interrogation.
Adewumi told the court sitting before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, during a cross-examinatiion by the prosecution counsel, Mrs Chime Onwuegbu, that, “there were intimidation, coercion and use of electric baton by the SSS officials during interrogation”.
He reiterated that he was forced to write the statement dated January 15, 2013.
After the cross and re-examination by counsels in the matter, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed, adjourned till July 10, 2014, for adoption of written addresses of parties.
It would be recalled that the court had last year, ordered trial-within-trial in the terrorism charge against the two accused persons.
They were said to have collected 3000 Euros and $20,000 from the Iran terrorist group in order to source and train terrorist-minded Nigerians fluent in English Language.
According to a six-count charge preferred against them by the Federal Government, the duo, had on or before September 2011 and December 2012, at Tehran in Iran, rendered support to the group via provision of materials and terrorism trainings on use of firearms and other weapons.
The Federal Government told the court that some of the persons that benefited from their training, among whom included Suleiman Olayinka Sake and Aminu Mohammed Yusuf, are currently at large.
Their alleged offence is punishable under section 5(1) and 8 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013.
The accused persons, who had been held in the custody of the SSS, had denied the content of confessional statements they made before the security agency, saying they were coerced into making the statements.
