A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Abubakar Goni, a self-confessed member of Boko Haram, to 30 years in prison after he admitted belonging to the terrorist group.
Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Friday after Goni pleaded guilty to membership of the proscribed organisation, which he said he joined more than 15 years ago.
However, the court ordered that the sentence should take effect from 2016, when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him and placed him in detention.
The judge also directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where Goni would serve his sentence.
Goni, who hails from Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, faced a five-count charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
The charges included membership of Boko Haram, receiving training in the use of AK-47 rifles, attacking civilians and looting food supplies to feed members of the group.
He was also accused of participating in attacks on communities in neighbouring Niger Republic before his arrest in 2016.
When the charges were read to him in court, Goni admitted being a member of Boko Haram but denied the other allegations.
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Following his admission, Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, in sentencing him to 30 years in prison.
Judge Considers Defence Plea For Leniency
During the proceedings, Goni’s lawyer, Dauda Hassan, urged the court to exercise leniency and impose the minimum sentence permitted by law.
Hassan argued that his client had voluntarily admitted the offence, saving the court the time that would have been spent on a full trial.
The defence also asked the court to consider Goni’s status as a first-time offender.
In determining the sentence, Justice Nyako ordered that the jail term be calculated from 2016, when the DSS took Goni into custody.
The ruling means the sentence will run from the date of his arrest and detention rather than from the day the court delivered its judgment.
