NIGERIA: Three Lebanese businessmen accused of being members of Hezbollah appear in a Nigerian court as the prosecution and defence to give their closing arguments
Record ID:
236218
NIGERIA: Three Lebanese businessmen accused of being members of Hezbollah appear in a Nigerian court as the prosecution and defence to give their closing arguments
- Title: NIGERIA: Three Lebanese businessmen accused of being members of Hezbollah appear in a Nigerian court as the prosecution and defence to give their closing arguments
- Date: 21st October 2013
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 21, 2013) (REUTERS) LEBANESE SUSPECTS BEING DRIVEN INTO COURT PREMISES IN PRISON VAN SUSPECTS GETTING OUT OF VAN VARIOUS OF LEBANESE NATIONALS WALKING INTO COURT IN HANDCUFFS COURTROOM VARIOUS OF SUSPECTS IN DISCUSSIIONS WITH THEIR COUNSEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBERT CLARKE, DEFENCE COUNSEL, SAYING: "We have been able to satisfy the court that based on the law together with the fact that have been adduced we believe that the law is on our side that nothing has been proved and we are very hopeful with the law being on our side that our clients will be released and their freedom will be given to them." VARIOUS OF FEMALE RELATIVES VARIOUS OF LAWYERS DISCUSSING VARIOUS OF SUSPECT TALKING TO A RELATIVE LAWYERS IN DISCUSSION (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBERT CLARKE, DEFENCE COUNSEL, SAYING: "In Nigeria today, Hezbollah has not been declared a terrorist organisation even though certain countries in Europe have done so and I give examples of Boko Haram that even in England today Nigeria have declared Boko Haram a terrorist state, gazetted it, Britain is still in the process under their domestic law to so declare and until Hezbollah is declared as a terrorist organisation by Mr. President, nobody has the right to call them a terrorist organisation." VARIOUS OF RELATIVES OF SUSPECTS AND OTHERS LEAVING THE COURTROOM VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF COURTROOM
- Embargoed: 5th November 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVA2FX1C9HHMY71XOH7LWZSCNIIW
- Story Text: Three Lebanese nationals charged on suspicion of being members of Hezbollah appeared in a Nigerian high court on Monday (October 21) for the judge to hear the closing arguments of the prosecution and defence.
The suspects, Mustapha Fawaz, Abdullah Tahini and Talal Roda were arrested between May 16 and May 28 in Nigeria's north's biggest city, Kano.
A raid on the residence of one of the Lebanese men had uncovered arms and ammunition which Nigerian authorities said were targeted at facilities of Israel and Western interest in Nigeria.
Another Lebanese national, Hussain Nurudeen Kossdi facing similar charges has remained at large since the trial commenced and the defence counsel have said that he is not represented.
After listening to both sides, the judge reserved his ruling for a later date.
Robert Clarke, defence counsel said he was optimistic that the judge would rule in their favour.
"We have been able to satisfy the court that based on the law together with the fact that have been adduced we believe that the law is on our side that nothing has been proved and we are very hopeful with the law being on our side that our client will be released and their freedom will be given to them," he said.
"In Nigeria today, Hezbollah has not been declared a terrorist organisation even though certain countries in Europe have done so and I give examples of Boko Haram that even in England today Nigeria have declared Boko Haram a terrorist state, gazetted it, Britain is still in the process under their domestic law to so declare and until Hezbollah is declared as a terrorist organisation by Mr. President, nobody has the right to call them a terrorist organisation," he added.
Authorities believe there has been a growing involvement of al-Qaeda-linked foreign jihadists in Nigeria's insurgency.
An alliance between Salafist Sunni Muslim Boko Haram and Shi'ite Hezbollah would be unusual, and there has never previously been evidence of such a link.
Though most Nigerian Muslims are Sunni, there are several thousand Shi'ite Nigerians, a legacy of Muslim radical Ibrahim Zakzaky's preachings since the 1980s.
Zakzaky still leads Nigeria's main Shi'ite movement and has campaigned for an Islamic government and stricter adherence to Sharia law.
A Nigerian court sentenced an alleged member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and a Nigerian accomplice to five years in prison in May over an illegal shipment of mortars and rockets seized in the main port of Lagos in 2010. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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