The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 11 members of the extremist group Boko Haram to prison terms ranging from 40 to 60 years for terrorism-related offences.
Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the convictions were based on the defendants’ confessional statements and guilty pleas in open court. He ruled that the law permits courts to convict without requiring further proof once an accused person admits guilt.
The convicts Musa Mustapha, Ali Mohammed, Babagana Ali, Abacha Abba, Ali Abbagana Umar, Kadi Agwala, Yahaya Umara, Alhaji Ari, Goni Mustapha, Ali Modu, and Alhaji Fannaya were found guilty of offences including membership in a proscribed organisation and providing logistical support to terrorist activities.
The court ordered that their sentences run concurrently from the date of arrest. It also directed that the convicts undergo rehabilitation and de-radicalisation programmes after serving their jail terms.
Among those convicted: Alhaji Fannaya received 20 years imprisonment on each of four counts after pleading guilty to multiple charges.
Abacha Abba was sentenced to 20 years on each of three counts, including transporting weapons and undergoing terrorist training.
Ali Babagana Umar and Kadi Agwala were each handed 20-year sentences on two counts related to aiding the group.
In a separate case, Justice Peter Lifu sentenced Ali Kolo to nine years imprisonment for failing to report terrorist activities, despite acknowledging that he had been shot by insurgents while attempting to alert authorities.
The court ruled that although Kolo failed in his legal duty to report, his circumstances were beyond his control. Since he had already spent over a decade in detention, the judge ordered his immediate release.
Similarly, Ibrahim Buba, a bricklayer from Borno State, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for withholding information about terrorist activities. He admitted knowing members of the group but fleeing the state instead of reporting them to authorities.
The prosecution, led by government counsel David Kaswe, relied on provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which mandates citizens to disclose information about terrorist operations to security agencies.
The rulings underscore the judiciary’s continued enforcement of anti-terrorism laws, while also highlighting considerations of fairness and circumstance in sentencing.
Starnews
