My phones in court’s custody called my new number — Ndume

SENATOR Aliyu Ndume, standing trial over his alleged involvement with the Boko Haram Islamic sect, on Wednesday, told a Federal High Court that his two mobile telephones confiscated and in possession of the court were being used to call his new phone numbers.

His lawyer, Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN), told the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the strange development when the matter came up for trial before the court yesteday.

Kolawole, in his response, expressed shock and said: “I don’t know much about technology. How can a phone that is switched off be able to receive and make calls? I think you should go to MTN for clarification and also confer with the prosecution witness to know what to do.

“Really, it is strange to me that a phone line that is not active can be used to make calls,” the judge      held.

Ndume, through his lawyer, showed the court the call log obtained from MTN communications.

He had, in a letter to MTN, said he had already complained to the service provider that he had been receiving strange calls from his previous number, which is in the custody of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where he is standing trial for allegedly sponsoring Boko Haram activities.

According to him, the first call to his new number, using the same old number, was 9:56am on 13th June 2014 which cut off after few seconds.

“Then I got the second call from my former number, which is supposed to be in the custody of the Court at 9.58 a.m. which also went off after few seconds.”

He said he was again called by the second number, at 10.07 a.m. and “when I asked who was speaking, the caller said he was George. He asked me whether I got his text message and I said no.” Ndume added that the line went off after he told the caller that he did not get any SMS.

Excerpt from the letter to the MTN dated 13th June, 2014 reads: “When I tried to call back, I got the voice message that, ‘the number you are trying to call is not available at the moment please try again later.’

“I immediately ?called MTN customer care centre using 180 and I was connected to one Juwairah Muktar, after lodging my complaint she asked me to hold on, so that she could talk to her team leader Sybil Uwake.

“She subsequently got back to me and advised that I should report? the case to the nearest police station.

“I accordingly reported the case at Apo Police Station where I was made to write a formal complaint.

“In view of this and the fact that I am currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in connection with the use of my phone and the seriousness of the case, I wish to request for the following information, my call data record for 13th June, 2014, identification of the caller and the location where the call originated and the IMEI number of the phone used.”

He attached a copy of the calls log given to him by the telecommunication company.

The calls? log, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent showed that the strange calls emanated from Abuja.

Ndume was arraigned on four count charge bordering on terrorism, after he was implicated by one Ali Konduga, said to be the a former spokesperson for Boko Haram, Ali Konduga had since been convicted and sentenced.

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My phones in court’s custody called my new number — Ndume