'The activities of terrorists and their associates pose a great risk to the national security and security of the entire peace-loving human race in the world and his actions must be fully investigated'
A teenager was on Monday arraigned for allegedly planning a terror attack on the Salvation Army Church along Jogoo Road in Nairobi.
Prosecutors said Trevor Ndigwa Nyaga alias Jamal Idris, 19, had already made plans to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo after executing the attack.
Nyaga was charged before Milimani magistrate Nzibe Muthoni with being in possession of extremist articles.
“The accused person wanted to attack a church along Jogoo Road in Nairobi and thereafter flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” court papers read.
Nyaga, police claim, was in possession of a video in which he pledged allegiance to terror groups and two other beheading videos in his phone.
He is also said to have been in possession of a terror by bomb booklet/manual which police say are for use in the commission of a terrorist act.
Nyaga denied all the charges. He was however denied bond after the prosecution asked that he be detained pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The prosecution said the accused had associates who were still at large and that he needed to be detained pending their arrest.
“Intelligence reports show that the accused has other associates who were assisting him in planning and executing the attack within the country and there is need to have him detained pending arrest of his associates,” the prosecution said.
They also said Nyaga was a flight risk and ought to be detained.
The court also heard that the charge facing the accused person was serious in nature and upon conviction may attract a sentence of up to 20 years.
“The activities of terrorists and their associates pose a great risk to the national security and security of the entire peace-loving human race in the world and his actions must be fully investigated,” the prosecution said.
Nyaga was arrested on November 9 after the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) headquarters received intelligence that plans were underway to attack one of the churches along Jogoo Road, Nairobi.
The magistrate directed that Nyaga appear in court on December 18 for a mention of the case.
edited by p. obuya