[VANGUARDNGR] Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, disqualified himself from further presiding over the trial of a factional leader of the Boko Haram sect, Mohammed Usman (aka Khalid Albarnawi).
Justice Tsoho withdrew from the case following the allegation by some of the defendants that he was biased. Albarnawi who was identified as the head of a Boko Haram splinter group that specialised in kidnapping and murder of foreigners, is facing trial alongside eight other alleged members of the sect- Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (a.k.a ANSARU); Mohammed Sani, Abubakar Abdulrahman Habibu, Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Abu Azzan); Mohammed Salisu (Datti); Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi), and a lady, Halima Haliru. The defendants are answering to an 11-count terrorism charge the Federal Government preferred against them.
They had on March 14 when they were docked before the high court, pleaded not giulty to the charge, even as the trial Judge remanded them in Kuje Prison. However, sequel to subsequent application by the Federal Government, Justice Tsoho, on April 25, reversed his earlier ruling and gave the Department of State Service, DSS, the nod to retain the defendants in its custody pending conclusion of the trial.
Consequently, at the resumed sitting on the matter yesterday, five of the defendants, through their lawyers, said they were no longer confident in the ability of the judge to handle their trial objectively. Insisting that they have lost confidence in Justice Tsoho, the defendants said they would prefer to face trial before another judge of the high court.
The five defendants, through their counsel, N.I. Momoh, Samuel Attah, and Elisha Oloruntoba, accused Justice Tsoho of dancing to the tune of FG regarding their trial. Besides, they alleged that condition of the DSS detention facility greatly worsened their health status, saying they were constantly denied access to their family members and legal representatives. 
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