The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a self-confessed Boko Haram member, Abubakar Goni, to 30 years’ imprisonment for his involvement with the proscribed terrorist group.
Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Friday after Goni admitted that he knowingly joined Boko Haram more than 15 years ago.
Goni, a native of Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, was prosecuted by the Federal Government on a five-count charge bordering on membership of Boko Haram, weapons training, attacks on civilians and looting food supplies to feed members of the group.
He was also accused of participating in attacks on communities in the Niger Republic before he was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2016.
When the charges were read to him in court, Goni admitted being a member of Boko Haram but denied the other allegations.
Following his admission, Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, to sentence him to 30 years in prison.
Earlier, defence counsel Dauda Hassan had urged the court to temper justice with mercy by imposing the minimum sentence on his client.
Hassan argued that Goni had voluntarily admitted the offence and saved the court the time that would otherwise have been spent on a full trial. He also appealed for leniency on the grounds that his client was a first-time offender.
In considering the plea, Justice Nyako ordered that the sentence should take effect from 2016, when Goni was arrested by the DSS and taken into detention.
The judge further directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where Goni would serve his sentence.
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