The State Security Service (SSS) on Monday re-arraigned a former lecturer of the Kogi State University, Mohammed Nazeef, and two others before Justice Iyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the SSS, Mr Nazeef, 44, who hails from Idah, Kogi State, completed his secondary education at El-Kanemi College, Maiduguri before he graduated from the Islamic University of Medina, Saudi Arabia.
After his National Youth Service Corp in Jos, he obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Jos before obtaining a Ph.D in Arabic and Islamic studies from the Kogi State University where he was an assistant lecturer.
Mr Nazeef with Musa Umar and Salami Abdullahi (a.k.a Asta) were re-arraigned on an amended eight-count charge for allegedly being members of a Boko Haram cell.
They were earlier arraigned before Justice Gabriel Kolawole before he was transferred to the Court of Appeal.
At the resumed hearing, counsel for the SSS, Adewumi Aloko, told the court that the charges against the accused had been amended and that they had to take a fresh plea.
One of the counts reads: “That you Mohammed Nazeef Yunus, adult, male, of Idah in Kogi State, Musa Umar, adult, male, of Ankpa in Kogi State, Salami Abdullahi (a.k.a Asta), adult, male, of Ayingba, in Kogi State, on diverse dates during the months of May to October, 2013 at Ayingba in Kogi State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court attended meetings at a fuel service station owned by Salami Abdullahi (a.k.a Asta) situated at Ayingba, marked road also at No. 24 Iyale road, and at other places at Ayingba, Kogi State, which meetings you knew were concerned and connected with an act of terrorism and Boko Haram, a proscribed terrorist group. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 4 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2013(as amended).”