The Federal High Court has sentenced an unrepentant Boko Haram suicide bomber who also is the Commander of the sect to sixty (60) years imprisonment.
In case file no. FHC/KAINJI/CR/108/ 18- FRN VS ABBA UMAR. The convict, Abba Umar, affirmed to have committed all the five (5) count charges brought before him at Court 4 of the FHC holding at Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State, on Tuesday February 13, 2018, pleaded not guilty but vowed to return to Sambisa Forest if he is released.
The Sect Commander, who is now 22 years old, was arrested at the age of 18 when he attempted to carry out a failed attack in 2014. His mission was foiled by members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) as he drove a heavy loaded Honda Odyssey Bus with explosive devices against the wall of the Government Day Pilot Secondary School, Gombe with the intention to bomb the school.
The hardened and unrepentant convict confessed to be a member of the dreaded Boko Haram and a sect member of the “Jama’tu ahli sunna li da’awatu wa Jihad”, meaning, “people who follow the path of the Prophet for preaching and jihad”. He admitted all the count charges and emphasised his important role as a commander that takes instruction from his leader.
Abba Umar claimed that he was initiated into the sect by his elder brother before moving to the Sambisa Forest. He was never remorseful for his actions but remained adamant to his ideology despite all the efforts by the Defence Counsel to convince him to have a change of heart.
All the written and confessional statements as well as pictures tendered as exhibits before the court, the Convict affirmed that he actually committed the offences. He also admitted to have carried out several attacks.
The Judge, having weighed options could not but to sentence him on all the five count charges as Abba Umar kept on pleading not guilty though he affirmed to have committed all the offences. The count charges are:
Count 1 – 15 years imprisonment for professing to be a member of the Sect
Count 2 – 30 years imprisonment for attempting to bomb Govt. Day Pilot Secondary School, Gombe
Count 3 – 60 years imprisonment for participating in an act of terrorism where he was found with ammunitions
Count 4 – 15 years imprisonment for receiving Terrorism training in Sambisa Forest
Count 5 – 7 years imprisonment for failing to disclose information about his Sect leaders.
All the years of imprisonment are to run concurrently. To avoid the convict going back to crime, the Judge said he would undergo de-radicalisation.
Also convicted by the FHC sitting and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in a case file no FHC/KAINJI/CR/74/18 – FRN VS MOHAMMED HUSSAIN. He was arraigned on 3 count charge; he participated in so many attacks that led to loss of lives and properties in Maiduguri, Borno State. He also took part in the bombing of Damaturu in which lives and properties were lost. He is a member of Boko Haram.
The defendant pleaded guilty to all the offences and was convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment to run concurrently in all the three count charges with no option of fine and the jail term counts from 13th February, 2018.
Ogundoro Modupe
Deputy Director (Information)
