The federal high court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the commencement of trial of the suspected mastermind of the 2012 attack on Deeper Life Bible Church, Okene, Kogi State, Abdulmalik Abdulazeez Obadaki, to January 26, 2026.
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik, gave the order during the arraignment of the defendant on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to five out of the six counts. At the adjourned date the court will review facts relating to the count he pleaded guilty to, and to hear those he pleaded not guilty to.
The arraignment is coming few days after securing the sentencing of a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Hussaini Ismaila, to 20 years imprisonment for terrorism.
Abdulmalik Abdulazeez Obadaki is being tried for his alleged membership of a terrorist group, conspiracy, rendering assistance to acts of terrorism, concealment of information on activities of a terrorist group, and escape from lawful custody.
The court ordered that the suspect be remanded in the custody of the prosecuting authority, the DSS, until the next adjourned date.
It will be recalled that after the Okene church attack, Obadaki is being alleged to have later led a gang that raided five commercial banks in Uromi, Edo State, killing several people, and carted away huge sums of cash.
He, however, was trailed and arrested by security forces and remanded at the Kuje prison but escaped shortly during the July 2022 jailbreak at the Kuje custodial centre.
Security sources disclosed that the suspected terrorist leader allegedly confessed to orchestrating the Kuje custodial centre jailbreak following his transfer from Kabba custodial centre in June 2022.