The suspended majority leader in the senate, Ali Ndume standing trial on terrorism on alleged terrorism funding has told the federal high court in Abuja that he has no case to answer in the 4 count charges brought against him by the federal government.
Ndume told Justice Kolawole that the government has not in anyway established a prima facie case against him or link him with any crime.
In a no case submission argued by his counsel Rickey Tarfa SAN, Ndume insisted that the charges brought against him by the government since November 30, 2011 has not been proved beyond reasonable doubt as required by law at the end of the prosecution case.
The senator admitted that he had contact with the dreaded boko haram sect and that the contact came into being, when he was appointed into presidential committee on security matters by the govt to negotiate for peace with the terrorist group.
He maintained that the charges against him were unjust and unfair because he passed the report of his contact with the terrorist to the then, Vice President . Namadi Sambo and the then Director General of Department of State Service (DSS).
Ndume further told the court that the charge of failure to disclose info on the workings of boko haram cannot be sustained against him because the prosecution did not link any evidence to that effect.
“Clearly from the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution, there is no ingredients of the charges proved as required by law. The analysis of the mobile phones seized from the defendant and subjected to forensic examination did not reveal any offence committed”, the counsel held.
However the prosecution counsel Grace Okafor urged the court to compel Ndume to open his defense in the charges against on the account that the govt witnesses have effectively link him with the crime.
The prosecution said that the charge against Ndume has to do with the failure to disclose material information to the security agents on boko haram and rendering support to the terrorist group adding that the Ndume in his own statements tendered and admitted in court confirm that he had enormous info on boko haram which he refused to disclose to government.
Justice Kolawole after taking arguments from the two parties adjourned ruling to July 4, 2017.
It would be recalled that the federal government had arraigned Ndume for allegedly sponsoring the activities of the dreaded boko haram sect.
SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja
