Court convicts 205 Boko Haram members

Court convicts 205 Boko Haram members

•Frees 526 as one insurgent gets 66 years

THE special sitting of the Federal High Court in Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State, has ended with the conviction of 205 Boko Haram members, who were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.
One of the convicts, identified as Alhaji Bukar Jindi, got the longest term of imprisonment.

A statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Justice yesterday revealed that 19-year-old Jindi got a total of 66 years upon being convicted on a two count charge.

The media aide to the Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, Salihu Isah, said in the statement, that Jindi got 16 years on the first count and 50 years on the other.

Jindi, Isah added, was convicted for admitting to be a member of the sect Boko Haram and carrying out several attacks leading to loss of lives and properties.

The statement reads: “The unremorseful and unrepentant convict vowed to go back to crime if he is released.

“He was arrested in 2015 at the age of 17. He will have to spend 50 years in prison with effect from the date of his arrest.”

Isah said only one of those tried, Modu Maina, a native of Bama Local Government Area of Borno State was discharged and acquitted.

He was arrested in Ketu, Lagos State where he worked as a gateman.
“Maina confessed that he was forcefully initiated into the Boko Haram group but relocated to Lagos to avoid being arrested in Bama.

“He said that all the confessional statements he made to Joint Task Force (JTF) was under alleged torture.
“The presiding judge, having reviewed the defendant’s written confessional statements, found him not guilty,” Isah said.

He added that a total of 526 Boko Haram “suspects were discharged for want of evidence, under aged and persons suffering from mental illness.”

Isah said most of the 205 that were convicted were found guilty of admitting “to belonging to the terrorist group; concealing information about the group which they knew or believe to be of material assistance that could lead to the arrest, prosecution or conviction of Boko Haram members.

Their jail term ranges from 3 to 60 years.

“Most of the convicts said the fear of being killed prevented them from reporting to the JTF (Joint Task Force) or any security agencies coupled with the fact that most villages had been ravaged by the Boko Haram including the security posts.

“They insisted that it was difficult and a dangerous venture for them to travel a long distance to make a report.”

The Federal High Court had to move its sitting to the Wawa cantonment, which served as a detention facility for Boko Haram suspects, to ensure prompt disposal of the cases.

According to Isah, the court, during its latest sitting, which ended last Friday tried 301 cases, convicted 205, discharged and acquitted 1 and adjourned 73 for continuation of hearing.

The cases involving the freed 526 were not tried because the prosecution could not charge them for lack of sufficient evidence, among other reasons.