• As 12 others bag 10, 60, 40 years terms
By Vivian Okejeme
As the trial of the 500 suspected Boko Haram terrorists continues, Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has sentenced a Boko Haram terrorists victim, Ali Kolo, to nine years imprisonment after spending more than 10 years in detention.
The federal government is prosecuting Kolo on a 4-count charge of concealment of information on the activities of the terrorists group in Borno state.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 11 other Boko Haram members were also sentenced to various jail terms ranging from 60 to 40 years imprisonment.
In another development, Ibrahim Bubba, a Borno based bricklayer was jailed 10 years for failure to relay information on the activities of Boko Haram in Borno state to the military.
The convicts pleaded guilty to the charges as they confessed to the offences in open court as well as in their extra judicial statements with the military.
The sentence for the offences which contravenes Terrorism Prohibition and Prevention Act, will run concurrently starting from the date of their arrest and consequent detention.
Kolo, in his defence, explained that he was shot in the right leg by Boko Haram terrorists in the state while going to report the activities of the terrorists to the military.
In his argument, the prosecution counsel, Mr. David Kaswe, who led the prosecution, submitted that the defendant, had in 2017, failed to convey information on the activities of the terrorists to the military or any other security agency as required by the provision of terrorism prevention and prohibition Act, 2013.
Kaswe, a Deputy Director in the federal ministry of justice, tendered the extra-judicial statement where the defendant admitted failure to relay information on the terror group to the appropriate quarters as well as investigation report which indicated his refusal to help the government in curbing activities of the terrorists.
Justice Lifu admitted the two exhibits following no objection from the defence counsel, Mrs A.O Usman.
Consequently, the prosecution pleaded with the judge to sentence the defendant to ten years based on his guilty plea and his confession in his statement to the military and the investigation report that indicted him.
Meanwhile, the victim, who was 37 years when the terrorists shot him on his right leg informed the court that he was shot with an AK-47 gun while on his way to report the terrorists to the military.
Explaining his ordeal, he stated that his journey to report the terror group was cut short because he landed in the hospital as a result of the gun injury and pleaded with the judge to be leneinant with him.
In his judgement, Justice Lifu agreed with the prosecution that the defendant didn’t report the activities of the terror group to the military, but held that it was due to circumstances beyond the control of the defendant.
Consequently, he sentence him to nine years imprisonment and ordered that the sentence should start from 2017, when the defendant was arrested and thrown into detention.
Justice Lifu held that by prison law, the convict had already spent more than 10yrs in detention and must therefore, be immediately released from custody to enable him attend to his injury occasioned by Boko Haram.
Justice Lifu maintained that the convict was not found guilty of Boko Haram membership or training in weapons but, was found guilty only on concealment of information.
Moreover, the judge held that the convict had suffered enough and must be released immediately upon his signing of warrant for his release.
On Bubba’s trial, also known as Baba Gana, his defence claimed that he ran from Borno to Mubi in Adamawa state and later to Onitsha in Anambra State when the terrorists were chasing him.
In the two count charges, the convict admitted knowing two of the terrorists and that he did not pass information to the military and instead ran to Onitsha where he was apprehended in 2023 while engaging in bricklaying job.
The convict pleaded for leniency prompting Justice Lifu to impose a 10 years on him as against 20 years demanded by the prosecution.
Justice Lifu ordered that the 10 years jail term should start from March 24, 2023 when the convict was arrested and detained.
In a separate trial, Justice Obiora Egwuatu sentenced 11 other Boko Haram members to various jail terms ranging from 60 to 40 years imprisonment.
Delivering judgement, the judge ordered that the convicts are to be rehabilitated and de- radicalized after serving their various jail terms.
The convicts are Musa Mustapha; Ali Mohammed; Babagana Ali; Abacha Abba; Ali Abbagana Umar; Kadi Agwala; Yahaya Umara; Alhaji Ari; Goni Mustapha; Ali Modu and Alhaji Fannaya.
The prosecution tried them on various count charges ranging to belonging to a proscribed organization known as the Boko Haram sect and rendering materials and logistics support to members of the group.
The court held that it is allowed to summarily convicts the defendants upon an admission of quilt and confessional statement without calling on the prosecution to prove his case.
In the case of Alhaji Fannaya, a Boko Haram member from Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years on each of the four-count charge against him.
This was after he pleaded to four out of the five count charges.
Abacha Abba, a confessed Boko Haram member from Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years on each of the three- count charges including conveying weapons to members of the sect and receiving training instructions on weapon handling.
Also, Ali Babagana Umar was convicted and sentenced to 20 years on each of the two-counts charges including rendering support to Boko Haram members.
Kadi Agwala of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, was sentenced and convicted to 20 years on each of the two-counts for rendering support to members of Boko Haram.
