Terrorism: Life jail for 4 Boko Haram bombers

    •Another gets 10 years

From GODWIN TSA Abuja

In the first landmark judgment under the Terrorism Act, a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday jailed four Boko Haram bombers for life while another got a 10-year imprisonment. The convicted Islamist sect members were arraigned for their involvement in the bombing of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State in 2011.

One of the accused, Musa Adam, was however, set free by Justice Bilikisu Aliyu for want of evidence linking him with the crime. Those convicted on three of the five-count charge are Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar, Mohammed Ali and Umar Ibrahim who bagged 10 years jail term.

Justice Aliyu, however, discharged the convicts on the charge relating to the explosions at the All Christians Fellowship and the killing of policemen in Dakina, on the ground that the prosecution failed to provide convincing evidence to support the charge.

They were arraigned on a five-count charge  on April 8, 2011 for the bombing, in which 16 people died and several others injured. They were also charged with the July 10, 2011 explosions at the All Christians Fellowship, Suleja,  which claimed three lives and injured others; the March 3, 2011 explosion at a political rally in Suleja, where three people died; and the May 23, 2011 explosion in Dakina Village, Bwuari, Abuja, killing three policemen.

The accused were equally charged with engaging in illegal training in weapon-handling and unlawful possession of weapons for the purpose of engaging in terrorism. The convicts were charged under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act.

In relation to the four who bagged life sentences, Justice Aliyu noted that they “used explosives meant for blasting rocks for mining purposes, to kill human beings who had done nothing against them. “Human life is sacred. There is no human life that is more sacred than the other. The convicts have shown lack of respect for human life. They deserved to be removed from the society,” the judge held before pronouncing the sentence.

For Ibrahim, who got 10 years, the judge said that the evidence led by the prosecution showed that he merely served as an errand boy for others, who engaged in illegal weapon-training. Justice Aliyu held that Ibrahim was culpable for aiding the illegal trainees as he could have refused to run errands for them if he did not support their activities.