Boko Haram members have secret signs, SSS tells court

Members of the Boko Haram sect have secret signs with which they communicate and identify themselves, the State Security Service (SSS) yesterday told an Abuja Federal High Court.

Chief Investigator, James Izi, revealed this while testifying before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu in the trial of six suspected members of the group, which began yesterday. He, however, refused to state the signs for security reasons.

The suspects are Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Umar Ibrahim and a spiritualist, Musa Adam.
They have pleaded not guilty to a five count charge of criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means slammed against them by the State Security Service (SSS).

The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under Sections 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law, and Section 15 (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Establishment Act 2004.

Led in evidence-in-chief by the prosecution counsel, Thompson Olatigbe, Izi, who has put in 30 years in the service, said the SSS DG raised a special panel to trace, trail and arrest suspected members.

He told the court how the accused persons were caught transporting 200 detonators and 55 yards of blasting cables with which they made the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) used in perpetrating the  acts.
He said the accused persons voluntary statements were obtained and the phones retrieved from them were subjected to analysis by bomb experts.

He disclosed that Salisu Ahmed was arrested at the tipper garage in Abuja.
“He led SSS operatives to a bomb making factory at Nasarawa-Iku where bomb compounding elements were recovered. A lot of handsets used for detonating IEDs from a distance were recovered on August 9, 2011,” he said.

Izi said one Ahmed Ezimakor earlier arrested with the suspects was the one that linked them to where they bought materials used in making the IEDs.

The prosecution witness said the accused were illegally trained in weapons handling and use of AK 47 assault rifle by one Ibrahim Bashir Madalla who is still at large.

He further told the court that several GSM handsets with which the suspects detonated improvised explosive devices were recovered from them.

Under cross-examination, the witness stated that investigations by the state security service revealed that the six accused persons are members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

With three more witnesses waiting to testify, Justice Aliyu adjourned till November 24 and 25 for continuation of the trial. According to the charge, the accused persons at various times within the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State allegedly prepared, planted and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

They are believed to be the brains behind the April bombing at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State, where 16 persons including serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members died on the eve of the rescheduled National Assembly elections.

The accused persons also allegedly conspired with others at large to cause grievous bodily harm by unlawfully planting deadly substances which led to the death of another three persons at a political rally in Suleja.
They also allegedly detonated explosives which resulted in the deaths of three peace officers in Dakna village, Bwari.
The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under Sections 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law.