The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 11 members of Boko Haram to prison terms ranging from 40 to 60 years for terrorism-related offences.
Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu said the convictions were based on the defendants’ confessional statements and guilty pleas, noting that the law allows courts to convict once guilt is admitted.
The convicts including Musa Mustapha, Ali Mohammed, Babagana Ali, Abacha Abba, and others were found guilty of charges such as membership in a proscribed organisation and providing logistical support to terrorist activities.
The court ordered that their sentences run concurrently from the date of arrest and directed that they undergo rehabilitation and de-radicalisation programmes after completing their jail terms.
Among the sentences handed down, some defendants received 20 years imprisonment on multiple counts for offences including weapons transportation, training, and aiding insurgents.
In a related case, Justice Peter Lifu sentenced a defendant, Ali Kolo, to nine years imprisonment for failing to report terrorist activities, despite evidence that he had been attacked while attempting to alert authorities. However, having already spent over a decade in detention, the court ordered his immediate release.
Similarly, another defendant, Ibrahim Buba, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for withholding information about terrorist operations.
The prosecution, led by David Kaswe, relied on provisions of Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which requires citizens to report knowledge of terrorist activities to security agencies.
The rulings reflect ongoing efforts by the judiciary to enforce anti-terrorism laws while balancing justice with individual circumstances.