March 09, (THEWILL) — The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed trial dates in two separate criminal cases involving alleged threats to national security, including a man accused of calling for a military coup against the administration of President Bola Tinubu and a suspected member of the Ansaru terrorist group linked to the 2012 Deeper Life Bible Church attack in Kogi State.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the trial of Innocent Chukwuemeka Onukwume, also known as Innocent Chukwuma, to May 18 and 19.
The adjournment followed an application by the prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, who told the court that the case file had only recently been transferred to his office from the Department of State Services (DSS).
Kaswe sought more time to study the file before proceeding with the trial, a request granted by the court.
Onukwume is standing trial in a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/610/2025, filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant used his social media platform to call on the Nigerian military to overthrow the current government.
According to the charge, Onukwume posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, @TheAgroman, that a military takeover was necessary in Nigeria.
In one of the posts cited by the prosecution, he allegedly wrote: “A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian Government, and join the AES. That is all we need now.”
Operatives of the DSS were said to have tracked and arrested him in Oyigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following the alleged inciting post.
In a related development, the court also fixed May 8 for the commencement of the trial of Abdulazeez Obadaki, a suspected member of the Ansaru terrorist group and alleged mastermind of the June 12, 2012 attack on the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State.
The deadly attack reportedly left 19 worshippers, including a pastor, dead, while several others sustained injuries.
During Monday’s proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Kaswe, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for trial on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism dated December 11, 2025, but requested an adjournment to enable him to study the case file, which he said had just been transferred from the DSS.
However, defence counsel U.K. Okeudo told the court that the matter had already been slated for trial and that the defence had obtained certified true copies of the previous proceedings.
Justice Abdulmalik granted the prosecution’s request and adjourned the matter to May 8 for trial.
Obadaki, popularly known as “Bomboy,” was initially arrested after the Okene church attack but later escaped during the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, allegedly carried out by members of his terror group.
He was subsequently rearrested and arraigned on November 21, 2025, on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism under suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/629/2025.
The charges include alleged membership of the Ansaru terrorist group, failure to disclose information about a terrorist suspect identified as Abu Muhsab, and providing support for terrorist activities.
The prosecution also alleged that Obadaki encouraged members of the group to carry out attacks on four commercial banks—First Bank, United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, and Zenith Bank—along Market Road in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to the charge, the attacks occurred around February 23, 2022, after which Obadaki allegedly received N300,000 as his share of the proceeds through his Guaranty Trust Bank account.
He was further accused of conspiring with other terror suspects to attack the Kuje Correctional Centre in July 2022, which led to the escape of several detainees, including himself.
During his arraignment, Obadaki pleaded guilty to the charge of escaping from lawful custody but pleaded not guilty to the remaining five counts.
The court ordered that he be remanded in the custody of the DSS pending trial.
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