DSS tenders evidence against Nigerians accused of spying for Iran

The Department of State Services (DSS) has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to admit statements made by three men accused of working for Iranian handlers to spy on American and Israeli interests in Nigeria.

The defendants, Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa and Adam Suleiman, were arrested in Kano and Lagos in 2013 and are standing trial on terrorism-related charges.

They objected to the admissibility of their extra-judicial statements, claiming they were obtained under duress, prompting the court to conduct a trial-within-a-trial.

Justice Emeka Nwite reserved ruling to a date to be communicated to the parties after they adopted their final written addresses on the matter.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, prosecuting counsel Bello Abu argued that the evidence before the court showed the defendants gave their statements voluntarily, dismissing claims of coercion as an afterthought.

He urged the court to admit the statements and proceed with the substantive trial.

Defence counsel, Aliyu Yawuri, Bala Dakun and Bello Ibrahim countered that the statements were not freely made and should be rejected.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/129/2014, Abbas is alleged to have recruited young Nigerians, including Musa and Suleiman, for terrorist training in Iran and participated in meetings linked to terrorism.

He is also accused of transmitting intelligence on U.S. and Israeli targets in Lagos, including the U.S. Consulate, to a contact in Iran through encrypted communication.

Musa and Suleiman are accused of conspiring to obtain Nigerian passports and Iranian visas for terrorist training and of conducting surveillance on U.S. and Israeli embassies in Abuja, Kano and Lagos in preparation for attacks.