Federal High Court Pushes UN Bombing Trial Forward with Controversial Evidence.

Abuja – A Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted three video clips as evidence in the trial of five alleged masterminds of the 2011 bombing of the United Nations Complex in Abuja. The videos, provided by lawyers to the Department of State Services (DSS), were intended to challenge claims by the defendants that their statements to security officials were made under duress.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Presiding over the proceedings, Justice Emeka Nwite scheduled December 5 for the continuation of the trial-within-a-trial, which will involve the playback of video evidence to assess the credibility of the defendants’ claims. Among those on trial is Khalid Al‑Barnawi, who is facing charges alongside Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).

The DSS alleges that the accused orchestrated the August 26, 2011 bombing, which killed at least 20 people and injured more than 70 others. Al-Barnawi was apprehended in 2016, and the trial, ongoing since 2014, has experienced multiple delays due to procedural and legal challenges, including intermittent absence of legal counsel.

Earlier on Friday, Justice Nwite admitted extra-judicial statements previously made by three of the accused, which prosecutors argue were voluntarily given. The defendants, however, contended that they were subjected to harassment, intimidation, and inhumane treatment while in DSS custody.

The prosecution maintained that suspects were given access to their families, adequate food, and medical care, and that the statements were properly read and signed. Justice Nwite ruled that the statements would be admitted as evidence, finding the prosecution’s arguments credible.

The substantive hearing has been adjourned to January 22, 2026, to allow the trial to proceed.