Shuaibu Abubakar, a Boko Haram suspect, told a Federal High Court on Wednesday in Abuja that the State Security Service (SSS) “manufactured'' the statement credited to him.
?Abubakar further said that he was beaten and forced to thumb-print the statement as his own.
Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim, are standing trial for alleged multiple bombings and killings in Suleja, Madalla and its environs.
The accused gave the evidence while opening his defence on the allegation of torture made against the SSS.
Justice Bilkisu Aliyu had on Feb. 2 ordered for a trial-within-a-trial to ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
Mr James Izi, a Senior Investigation Officer, had led five other investigators of the SSS to deny the allegation made by the accused person.
Izi, who is the Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel of the SSS on the Suleja and Madalla incidents, had said that the first accused gave a voluntary statement.
Abubakar, who was led in cross examination, said: “The prosecutor only asked me what my occupation was and I told them I blast stones and sell fish.’’
Meanwhile, the court rejected an attempt by the prosecutor, Mr Thompson Olatigbe, to move an application for the stay of the bail granted the accused persons.
The judge held that the action was speculative as no surety had come forward to facilitate the release of the accused.
She further stated that the application was unnecessary as the pending appeal against the bail could go on without it.
Aliyu advised the prosecutor to stop expending energy on frivolities, adding that efforts should rather be geared toward the main case.
NAN reports that Olatigbe withdrew the application and the matter was adjourned to Thursday. (NAN)