Court Sentences Two Boko Haram Supporters To Life Imprisonment

Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two men arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) to life imprisonment and an additional 20 years in prison each for offences relating to their support for the proscribed Boko Haram terrorist group.

The defendants were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges bordering on providing support to the terrorist group and concealing information.

The convicts, Abba Mustapha, who hails from Bori village in Borno State, and 41-year-old Bukar Ibrahim, also from Borno State, pleaded guilty to providing logistics support to Boko Haram and concealing information.

Justice Ibrahim consequently sentenced both defendants to life imprisonment on the first count and 20 years’ imprisonment on the second count.

The sentences were handed down during the Federal Government’s latest phase of mass trials of suspected terrorists at the trial court.

The exercise, which commenced on Thursday, is being conducted across several courtrooms.

Among the judges handling the proceedings are Justices Salim Ibrahim, James Omotosho, Binta Nyako, Emeka Nwite, Obiora Egwuatu, Hauwa Yilwa, Joyce Abdulmalik and Peter Lifu.

At least 34 defendants were listed for proceedings before Justice Salim Ibrahim, while 25 were listed before Justice Lifu.

In July, the Federal Government announced the resumption of the trial of suspects allegedly involved in terrorism and suspects of other heinous crimes against the Nigerian state.

It said the resumed trial was in pursuance of the government’s commitment to promoting social justice by entrenching a transparent administrative system.

The government explained that the ongoing trial, which is in line with the International Criminal Justice (ICJ) system, was being administered by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with the Complex Casework Group (CCG) of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, in collaboration with other critical stakeholders under the coordination and supervision of the NCTC in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

It also revealed that more than 300 suspects were on trial, with five reputable judges manning five courts and chambers set up for speedy administration of justice in the ongoing trials in terrorism and other related cases in the country.

Earlier in April, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted a total of 386 terrorists put on trial by the Federal Government in the last four days.

The convicted terrorists were sentenced to various jail terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment based on the gravity of the charges against them.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who confirmed this, said that a total of 508 defendants were arraigned before 10 courts.

Fagbemi told journalists at the conclusion of the mass trial outside the court that eight of the defendants were discharged while two were acquitted of the charges against them.