MILITARY JUDGE SUPPRESSES KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED’S FBI CONFESSION IN 9/11 CASE. (PHOTO).
Military judge suppresses Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s FBI confession in 9/11 case A military judge has excluded a confession that alleged Sept. 11 attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed gave to FBI agents nearly 20 years ago, ruling that the statements were not made voluntarily. The decision is a setback for the U.S. government's long-running effort to prosecute Mohammed, who is accused of helping develop the plot to hijack planes and crash them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Mohammed remains detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, alongside other defendants awaiting trial. Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, the judge overseeing the case, scheduled a June 2028 trial for Mohammed and three other defendants earlier this week. In an order issued Friday that has not been made public, Schrama barred prosecutors from using statements Mohammed made during four days of FBI questioning at Guantanamo in January 2007. Mohammed had previously been captured and held by the CIA, where he was subjec...
The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication on Premium Times website titled ''INVESTIGATION:How Nigerian Army 'killed' kidnapped pastor and labelled him militant''.Ordinarily one would not have bothered to respond to that obvious mischief,but for the erroneous impression being created by the so-called ''investigative'' report in the minds of well meaning Nigerians.This report just like several others by the medium,were part of systematic and sustained efforts aimed at denigrating the Nigerian Army and tarnish its image.The Nigerian Army did not kill the pastor as alleged,rather he was killed by his captors who realized that troops were closing on them during precursor to Exercise CROCODILE SMILE.It is therefore very mischievous for anyone to ascribe his death to the troops.The Nigerian Army is a thorough professional organization with clearly stipulated rules of engagement which is being followed to the letter in any given operation or exercise.For the avoidance of doubt,based on information received,a raid was carried out on a suspected militant camp in Mbelekuru Creek,Ogbogoro Community of Obiakpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on 26th August 2016.During the raid,5 suspected militants were killed,23 of them were arrested and 11 Pump Action Rifles,2 AK-47 Rifles,1 Locally Made Revolver Pistol,292 Cartridges,99 Rounds of 7.62mm ammunition,1 AK-47 magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition,3 Power generating sets,1 camp Gas cooker,2 shovels,3 Cutlasses,1 rain boat,1 hand bag containing 2 mobile telephone handsets,1 wristwatch,a photograph,11 mobile telephone handsets,3 INEC voters cards,2 SIM cards and 1 memory card were recovered.It is therefore unimaginable for the troopss to kill an innocent person.A day after,press release was issued to this effect.Days later,a female serving Nigerian Air Force officer reported that her relative whom she identified as Mr. Andrew Anthony,a pastor of a church was killed during the raid and that he was not a militant.Contrary to insinuations by the medium,other family members confirmed that they never reported the kidnapping of Mr. Andrew to the police.Rather,they were negotiating with the kidnappers on their own without recourse to any security agency before the raid on the militants camp.The Nigerian Army did not release the photograph of the victim nor referred to him as a militant.The Headquarters 2 Brigade Nigerian Army also supported the family by linking them up with youth leaders that assisted in identifying and retrieving the corpse of the late pastor.The attempt to portray the Nigerian Army in bad light by labelling it killer of a pastor and manipulation of information by the Premium Times is totally unacceptable.The public is therefore enjoined to disregard the publication in its entirely as it is an attempt to blackmail the Nigerian Army and destroy its hard earned reputation,more so as further investigation has been directed by the Chief of Army Staff on the issue.
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