October 1 bombing: How text messages linked Okah, others, SSS tells court

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, heard how mobile telephone text massages linked Charles Okah and three other suspects to the October 1, 2010 bomb blasts that marred Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration.

The States Security Service, SSS, told the court that its Technical Department successfully extracted incriminating massages exchanged among the accused persons before and after that bomb explosion that resulted in the death of 12 persons at theEagle Square,Abuja.

Testifying in court, yesterday, a lead technical officer with the SSS, Mr Wasiu Agbaje, said he personally extracted text massage contents in the mobile phone of one of the accused persons, Edmund Ebiware, shortly after he was apprehended by undercover operatives.

Agbaje told the court that when the phone of the accused was thoroughly scrutinized, two of the incriminating messages were discovered, saying one was in his inbox while the other was a reply.

The witness said he used forensic suite software to extract the messages which he said was printed and passed to the service special investigative panel, insisting that the contents of the massages expressly indicted the accused persons of complicity in the crime.

Meanwhile, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, yesterday, admitted the printed text messages into evidence after it was tendered by the prosecuting counsel, Dr Alex Iziyon, SAN, even as further hearing on the case was subsequently adjourned till October 3 and 9.

It would be recalled that the court had on May 3, okayed separate trial for Ebiware, who was previously standing trial alongside Charles Okah who is the younger brother to the embattled ex-leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Henry Okah, and the 3rd accused person, Obi Nwabueze.

The 4th accused person, Tiemkemfa Francis Osvwo, a.k.a General Gbokos, died inside Kuje Prisons where the accused persons were remanded in by the court.

SSS had previously alleged that Ebiware, whose trial was severed by the court, also exchanged incriminating text messages with the erstwhile Director-General of the Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida, IBB, Campaign Organization and Chairman of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, prior to the twin bomb blasts.

FG alleged that the accused persons conspired with one Emmanuel Allison and made direct attempt at endangering the life of President Goodluck Jonathan by seeking to drive two motor vehicles wired with time-regulated explosive devices to theEagle Squarewhere theIndependencecelebration was taking place.

They were also said to have between January 2 and March 15, 2010, within Port-Harcourt Rivers State and diverse places, conspired with Henry Okah, Chima Orlu, (at large), and persons unknown and made direct attempt to endanger the lives of the Governor of Delta state, Edo state and Imo state by seeking to drive two motors vehicles wired with time regulated explosive devices into government house annex, Warri, Delta State, the venue of the Vanguard Post Amnesty Dialogue, where the said governors were in attendance, in order to cause a bomb blast for the purpose of levying war against the state.

The accused persons were initially arraigned before the High Court on December 7, 2010 and subsequently re-arraigned on January 12, 2011.