A self-confessed Boko Haram member, Abubakar Goni, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja for knowingly joining the proscribed terrorist group.
Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Friday after Goni admitted to membership of Boko Haram, which he joined more than 15 years ago.
Goni, from Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, faced five charges brought by the Federal Government. The charges included membership of Boko Haram, receiving training to handle an AK-47 rifle, attacking civilians and looting food to feed the group’s members.
He was also accused of participating in attacks on communities in Niger Republic before the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him in 2016.
When the court read the charges, Goni admitted belonging to 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, Goni’s lawyer, Dauda Hassan, urged the court to show leniency. He argued that his client had voluntarily admitted the offence and saved the court time.
Hassan also asked the judge to consider that Goni was a first-time offender and impose the minimum sentence allowed by law.
In response to the plea, Justice Nyako ordered that the prison term should run from 2016, when the DSS arrested and detained him.
The judge also directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where Goni will serve his sentence.
The ruling follows Goni’s admission of membership of the proscribed group. However, he denied the other allegations against him.
