Four Boko Haram bombers jailed for life

July 10, 2013 by Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja Leave a Comment

Four Boko Haram members – Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana-Umar and Mohammed Ali – were on Tuesday convicted  for carrying out multiple bombings and killings in parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Suleja, Niger State, between March and July 2011.

An Abuja Federal High Court , presided by Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, jailed  them for life in her judgment in the suit filed by the Federal Government after their arrest in 2011.

The four   and two other suspects-Musa Adamu and Umar Ibrahim – were prosecuted under the provisions of section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, which prescribes a life sentence for anyone found guilty of committing or attempting to commit an act of terrorism.

The convicts were accused of carrying out  bombings at the Independent National Electoral Commission office   and the All Christian Fellowship Church,  in Suleja, Niger State, in April and  July 2011, as well as the killing of four policemen at a check-point at Dakwa-Deidei in Bwari Area Council of the FCT in May 2011.

They were also accused of participating in killings at a political rally in  Suleja Secondary School in June 2011.

Furthermore, the Federal Government alleged that, between June 4 and July 12, 2011, the suspects had, at various locations in Suleja,  Azare in  Nasarawa State and the  the FCT, engaged in acts of terrorism “by encouraging through training of persons now at large, the use of arms and ammunition, and the preparation, planting and detonation of improvised explosive devices for the purpose of terrorism.”

But the accused persons, on  their arraignment in 2011, pleaded not guilty to the five-count brought against them

However, in the judgment delivered by Justice Aliyu on Tuesday,  four  out of the six suspects  were convicted and jailed for life for being members of the Boko Haram sect for  engaging in  terrorism.

Another accused person,whose name was simply given as  Ibrahim, was  given a 10-year prison term after the court found that he only assisted the terrorists, even though he was not a member of the sect.

The other suspect, whose mane was given as  Adamu, was freed after the court discovered that there was no evidence linking him to the terrorism charges.

The prosecution, led by Thompson Olatigbe of the Department of Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice, called a total of 16 witnesses against the accused persons, and tendered evidence,  including the suspects’ statements, materials used in making improvised explosive devices, as well as a black Honda Civic  with number plate   AG94MNG, in which they were travelling when they were arrested at an army road block at  in Kachia, Kaduna State  on July 27, 2011.

After the prosecution called its last witness on January 9, 2013, the suspects, through their lawyers, Kelvin Okoro and Nureini Suleiman, filed a no-case-submission, arguing that the evidence presented by the prosecution witnesses did not establish a prima facie case against them.

But in a ruling on February 11, 2013, Justice Aliyu dismissed the no-case-submission filed by the accused persons and declared that the prosecution had indeed established a prima facie case against them.

Reading a summary of the 87-page judgment on Tuesday, Aliyu noted that the 2nd accused person, Ahmed, had initially confessed that a Boko Haram leader, one Bashir Madalla, who is currently at large, had given them a bag containing improvised explosive devices to deposit within the premises of INEC.

Justice Aliyu said, “The convicts used explosive devices used for blasting rock and maining their fellow human beings .

“Human life is sacred. They have shown utmost disregard for human life in a most cruel manner so they deserve to be removed from the public if only to save more lives.”

Meanwhile,  prominent lawyers on Tuesday hailed the sentencing of  the four Boko Haram members to life imprisonment for their involvement in  terrorism.

The lawyers spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria   in separate interviews in Lagos.

A renowned lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said the judgment would help stem the tide of impunity and wanton killings in the country.

On his part, Mr Wale Ogunade, President, Voters Awareness Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, lauded the quick conclusion of the trial.

“We have always clamoured for quick dispensation of justice because we believe that justice delayed is justice denied,” Ogunade said.

source:Punch