Hezbollah man alleges plot to kill Saudi envoy to Nigeria

Hezbollah man alleges plot to kill Saudi envoy to Nigeria
Updated 12 August 2013
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Hezbollah man alleges plot to kill Saudi envoy to Nigeria

Hezbollah man alleges plot to kill Saudi envoy to Nigeria

A Lebanese suspect with alleged links to Hezbollah and on trial in Nigeria for terrorism offenses told a court on Friday he was aware of a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Abuja.
The alleged plot, which had not previously been made public, came up during questioning of the defendant during the trial of him and two other Lebanese in high court in the Nigerian capital.
The defendant, Talal Ahmad Roda, alleged that another man who is at large was behind a plot to assassinate the ambassador. The man was identified as Abdulhassan Tahir.
Asked by prosecutor Samuel Edege whether he was aware of the alleged plan, he said "yes" but did not know other details. Questioning then moved on to other subjects.
It was not clear whether anyone sought to put the alleged plot into action or which Saudi ambassador had been targeted for assassination since a name was not provided. The motive for the alleged plot was also not described.
The three men on trial are accused of plotting attacks against Israeli and Western targets in Nigeria as well as having links to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
They were charged in June after authorities discovered a cache of arms at a business in Abuja and a private home in the northern city of Kano.