The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Nigerian government’s request to proceed in absentia with the prosecution of five individuals accused of supporting notorious crime boss, Bello Turji, after repeated failures by the defendants to appear in court.
Justice Emeka Nwite approved the government’s application following a special motion by David Kaswe, legal counsel for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The order allows the trial to continue despite the defendants’ continued absence, citing provisions under Nigeria’s Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
According to court records, the defendants and their legal representatives have failed to show up for proceedings for the third time, even after bench warrants were issued for their arrest.
With efforts to locate and bring them before the court proving unsuccessful, the AGF’s team asked the judge to authorize trials without them present.
The hearing was adjourned to April 13, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
The accused—identified as Musa Muhammed Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu (“Doctor”), Bashir Abdullahi, Samuel Chinedu and Lucky Chukwuma face terrorism charges originally filed in late 2024.
The case was reopened late last year after previously being dismissed for lack of diligent prosecution.
The charges allege material support for armed groups affiliated with Bello Turji and other violent criminal networks, including supplying weapons, uniforms, shelter and provisions for militant camps across Nigeria’s northwest. Bello Turji himself remains at large.
