•Calls three witnesses

The Federal Government yesterday began the trial in the case against three Lebanese being held over their alleged involvement in terrorism.

The government called three witnesses, who were officials of the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

The Lebanese – Mustapha Fawaz (49), Abdallah Thahini (48) and Talal Ahmad Roda (51) – are charged with their companies – Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park Resort.

Before the trial began yesterday, the accused were rearraigned on a 16-count amended charge, to which they pleaded not guilty.

Among the charges against them were that they conspired and engaged in unlawful importation of prohibited firearms between 1988 and 2008 in Kano.

The prosecution witnesses, who were hooded for security reasons, told the court how they investigated the case and recovered arms and ammunition in the premises of the accused.

The first witness identified as DSS1 told the court that he coordinated the investigation and that the accused made voluntary statements where they admitted being members of the international terrorist group, Hezbollah.

The second witness identified as DSS2 said he led the team that conducted searches at the Wonderland Park and Amigo Supermarket, where they recovered arms and ammunitions.

He, however, stunned the court when, on being asked to read the inventory of the about 45 items recovered in the two premises, most of the items, except three, were not related to arms and ammunitions.

They were common items like computer accessories, sim cards, travelling documents, camera, Identity Card, among others.

The third witness identified as DSS3 told the court how one of the accused, Thahini was arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano with $61,170 while allegedly trying to escape from the country.

The trial resumes at 12noon today. The court chose the time to enable the prosecution file and serve the defence, copies of written statements of its remaining five witnesses.









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