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ABUJA—There was pandemonium, yesterday, on the premises of the Abuja division of the Federal high court moments after the trial of the alleged Nigerian leader of an illegal terrorist organization called Al-Qaeda Network, one Mallam Mohammed Ashafa, was adjourned.

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Yesterday was the second time the accused terrorist leader would be brought to court since he was arrested and detained.

The chaos in court was sparked off by desperate attempt by men of the SSS to shield photo journalists and television cameramen from taking the shots of Ashafa whom the trial judge, Justice Binta Murtala Nyarko had, said, was looking unpleasantly dirty.

Realising the antics of the SSS’ men, the photo-journalists and television cameramen, themselves, took their position outside the courtroom to snap Ashafa.

The situation, at hand, was like a contest between the journalists and the security men.

But the plain-clothed security men however failed in frustrating the photo-journalists from snapping Ashafa as he (the accused) refused to be persuaded that he should run into the SSS’ waiting white Peugeot Expert bus with registration number AA 916 KYJ.

The men of the SSS did not waste time anyway to deal with him while he was resisting them as about five of them attempted to carry him.

He was indeed practically carried, dragged on the tarred park of the high court, with his dress disheveled even as he managed to get up and courageously faced the SSS men asking: “what did I do now? I am also a human being like you. Please, leave me alone.”

His plea was however ignored as the security men grabbed him again and bundled him into the waiting van.

But while the drama was on-going, there was no photographer around as neatly dressed SSS men had run after the photo-journalist, who earlier took Ashafa’s shot with a view to seizing his camera in order to destroy the film inside.

Although the AIT television cameraman that got Ashafa on tape did not give the SSS men any difficulty releasing his tape but the photo-journalist refused to surrender his camera.

It took the intervention of several lawyers, counsel to the Federal Government in the matter, litigants and fellow journalist who had crowded around them to prevail on the SSS official to leave the photo-journalist alone.

The SSS officials however refused to disclose why they wanted the photo-journalist’s film.

Although Ashafa appeared in court yesterday in a cream colour Jalabia atop a dingy dark brown dunlop slippers, he looked weird and wild largely because of his bushy, unkempt hair; long and curving nails with tainted set of teeth which he occasionally opened to the discomfort of litigants and lawyers sitting close to him.

In fact, a lawyer abandoned the bar because of his weird look.

Mohammed Ashafa, Vanguard recalls, was one of the names recently mentioned in court by the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo as one of several Nigerians kept by President Obasanjo’s government inside a 20-feet SSS underground cell, in perpetual chain, for a period ranging between two and three years now without trial.

“thousands of people are there (SSS cell), chained to the ground. I can give you names: People like Mohammed Ashafa, Mohammed Adams, Yahaya Isah, Useni, Mudashiru, Ishmail, Yusuf and many others.

“They have been there for more than two years, in chain.  No trial. Their families are not aware of their conditions. And we are calling this a democracy. Is this democracy?”

Mohammed Ashafa, it would be recalled, was arraigned, about three months ago, by the Federal Government over terrorism charge before the Abuja division of the Federal high court.

According to the criminal information filed against him, Mohammed’s terrorist group specializes in gathering information and carrying out terrorist attacks on the residences of Americans living in Nigeria .

He is presently facing a 5-count charge of receiving monies in foreign currencies from Talha and Na’deem (Al-Qaeda Operatives) of the Tabliqh Headquarters, Lahore , Pakistan for the recruiting and training of terrorists whose main objective is to attack residences of Americans living in Nigeria .

He was not represented by any lawyer in court.

The charge against the alleged Nigerian Taliban leader reads:

COUNT 1:

That you Mohammed Ashafa ‘M’ 40 years old of Sharanchi Quarters, Kano, member of an illegal terrorist organisation known called “Al-Qaeda network” on or about the 19th day of May, 2004 at Kano, Kano state Al-Qaeda within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court wilfully received the sum of one thousand five hundred United States Dollars (US$1, 500.00) from Talha and Na’deem (Al-Qaeda Operatives) of the Talib headquarters, Lahore, Pakistan with intent that the said money shall be used to identify and carry out terrorist attacks on the residence of Americans living in Nigeria and thereby commit an offence contrary to section  15 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act.

COUNT 2:

That you Mohammed Ashafa ‘M’ 40 years old of Sharanchi Quarters Kano on diverse dates (between 2003 and December 2004) at Kano, Kano State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court facilitated acts of terrorism: to wit you are served courier to Al-Qaeda Tabliqh Headquarters Lahore Pakistan receiving and decoding coded messages and disseminating same to members of an illegal terrorist organisation known and called “The Nigerian Taliban” with intent that such information to identify and carry out attacks on residence of Americans living in Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 punishable under the same section of the Act.

COUNT 3:

That you Mohammed Ashafa ‘M’ 40 years old of Sharanchi Quarters, Kano, member of an illegal organisation known and called the “Al-Qaeda networks” at Kano, Kano state within the jurisdiction of the Federal high Court permitted your house to be used as the Al-Qaeda secret operational base; and rendered logistics and intelligence services to Adhan Katal Spinghul, Ahamed Sukur, Ahamed Taifi, Babagana Abdul Karim Gatamari (members of terrorist organisation called ‘The Al-Qaeda Networks’ whose objectives was to identify and carry out attacks on the United States Consulate and residences of Americans living in Nigeria and thereby commit an offence contrary to section 15 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 punishable under the same section of the Act.

COUNT 4:

That you Mohammed Ashafa ‘M’ 40 years old of Sharanchi Quarters, Kano, member of an illegal terrorist organisation known and called the Nigerian Taliban on diverse dates, (between the 30th December 2003 and 30th December, 2004 at Maiduguri, Borno State and other places in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did facilitate the commission of terrorist act to wit: You contacted, sponsored and ferried Isam Adam Sukur, Ahamed Taifi, Babagana Abdulkarim Galtamari and eighteen other Mujahideen fighters (members of Militia arm of the said Nigerian Taliban) to receive combat training on terrorism from an Algerian terrorist network known as Salifis Group for combat and preaching camp at Agwan, Niger Republic (Algerian Terrorist Network) and thereby committed and offence contrary to section 15 (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under the same Act.

COUNT 5

That you Mohammed Ashafa ‘M’ 40 years old of Sharanchi Quarters, Kano, member of an illegal terrorist organisation known and called “The Nigerian Taliban” on or about 30th day of December 2003 a Yau Katako quarters Kano, Kano State within the jurisdiction of the Federal high Court provided and gave large sums of money to Isam Adam Sukur and Ahamed Taifi with the intent that the money shall be used to receive military training at Salafis Group for combat and preaching at Camp Agwan Niger Republic and that you thereby committed an  offence contrary to section 15 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act punishable under the same section of the Act.

At the time he was arraigned, no lawyer represented him in court.

Even yesterday, he was not represented by any lawyer but he told the court that last time his he was visited by a relation, he said he arranged for a lawyer based in Kano to represent him.

He said he was surprised that no lawyer came to defend him.

Although the Federal Government told the court that it would want Ashafa’s trial to be conducted in camera, the court said that at the appropriate time, that would be taken care of but that the issue of getting lawyer for the accused was most important for now.

Justice Nyarko observed that the charge against Ashafa was a grievous one, being terrorism, saying even if he could not get a lawyer, she said he was entitled to it.

The judge yesterday directed the SSS to ensure that before the next adjourned date, his appearance should be seen to.

Although the counsel to the Federal Government said that efforts were made to see to his good appearance but that Ashafa was stubborn.

The judge however said that it was the business of the SSS in whose custody he was to see to his good care.

The court advised that a letter should be written to the Federal Government Taskforce on Decongestion of Prison and Prerogative of Mercy to assist in getting a lawyer to defend Ashafa.

The court said that if assistance could not come from the taskforce, she said the Legal Aid could be involved.

Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned till April 3, this year.