A federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba has sentenced three Boko Haram members to 75 years in jail with hard labor. Buba, who delivered the judgment in camera, sentenced the convicts to 25 years each. He had earlier granted an application that the trial should be conducted in secret following an application to that effect on the need to protect the witnesses. Initially, 17 suspects were charged to court but were later reduced to four following the withdrawal of the case against 13 other suspects.
All suspects initially charged were arraigned before Buba on an 18-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and being members of a proscribed organization.
But the case was discontinued against all the accused except the first four persons. However, Bala Haruna, one of the four was discharged by Buba on the grounds that the government failed to prove the allegation of terrorism funding against him. Haruna, according to the case of the
government, was said to have agreed to provide funds to facilitate the escape of the first convict, Ali Mohammed, from detention. However, Buba sentenced each of the accused persons, Ali Mohammed, Adamu Karumi and Ibrahim Usman to 25 years imprisonment for participating in acts of terrorism.
In the charge, the prosecution alleged that the accused persons committed the offences on March 21, at Plot 5, Road 69, Lekki Phase I Housing Estate, and No. 24, Oyegbeni St., Ijora-Oloye, Apapa-Iganmu, Lagos. They were alleged to have been caught in possession of three packets of explosive construction pipes, 15 detonators and 11 AK47 rifles, with 30 rounds of live ammunition.
The other items allegedly found in the possession of the accusedincluded 200 rounds of 7.6 millimetres live ammunition, two suitcasescontaining explosives, and a water container filled with explosives.
WhatsApp us