AFTER stalling his trial for about four years, the alleged mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day twin bombing, which tainted Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary, Charles Okah, Thursday declared himself fit for trial.

For four years, Okah’s defence team have inundated the court with a plethora of preliminary applications which has made it herculean for the prosecution to open its case the terrorism charges preferred against both Okah and his co-accused, Obi Nwabueze.

Speaking in open court sequel to permission granted him by the trial Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, Okah who walked into court on his feet without any assistance for the first time in a long while, said “I am medically and physically and psychologically ready for the trial.”‎

“For four years we have been subjected to gross violation of our fundamental human rights,” he added.

Okah said the condition in the prison and the treatment he was being subjected to in the prison had overtime improved due to intervention of the International Red Cross Society and the British High Commission.

He said, “Contrary to the impression that the prosecution created for the court ‎to believe, I have not tried to delay the trial. I want the trial to go on so that this evidence they have been talking about and the witnesses they said they have can be brought to court. I wanted them to come to court. I will want to know if they have been intimidated or bribed‎; I want to know if they are witnesses of truth.” Nobody is more desperate for the trial to go on more than those.”

In his reaction, the prosecution counsel, Dr. Alex Aigbe Izinyon (SAN) insisted that Okah had delayed the trial for four years. 

‎The matter which started in December 2010 had suffered series of adjournments with a bulk of the court sessions dedicated to hearing of Okah’s interlocutory applications relating to his mental fitness to stand trial.

The high point of hiccups in his trial was, when in October 2010, he dispensed with the services of Festus Keyamo, whose law firm, had been defending him since the charge was preferred against him.

Following this development, th‎e court on December 4, 2014 ordered the Federal Government-owned Legal Aid Council to assign a counsel to defend Okah and his co-accused when the issue of non-availability of lawyers to defend them was constituting a further delay in the case.

In compliance with the court’s order, Mr. A.S Abula‎ of the Legal Aid Council appeared in court on Thursday and sought time to study the record of proceedings and other necessary documents relating to the case for adequate preparation for the defence.

The judge granted the request, adding that despite the delay which the case had suffered, ‎”in a matter such as this the court should make haste slowly‎.”

‎Two others were initially charged along with Okah and Nwabueze. One of them who chose to have his case tried separately was decided on January 2, 2013, while the other person died in custody.

Charles Okah, a brother to a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Henry Okah, is being tried alongside Obi Nwabueze for the bomb attack near the Eagle Square in Abuja.

Henry had been tried and is already serving jail terms in South Africa for the attack in which about 12 persons were said to have died.