By Admin
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted and sentenced three terrorists linked to the recent kidnapping of school children and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State, to a life imprisonment.
Justice Salim Ibrahim made the order in a judgement after the three men pleaded guilty to some of the counts in a 10-count terrorism charge preferred against them by the Federal Government.
The judge, who gave them the maximum sentencing in count six which attracted life imprisonment, sentenced them to a 25-year jail term in count 4.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) earlier reported that the three men; Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa) and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), pleaded guilty to counts four and six.
Also, Umar, the 1st defendant, who was the only one mentioned in counts seven, eight, nine and ten, pleaded guilty to all the four counts.
The judge, in the judgment, equally sentenced Umar to a maximum sentencing of life imprisonment in counts seven, nine and 10 and committed him to a 20-year imprisonment in count eight.
Justice Ibrahim then adjourned the matter until Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 for commencement of trial in counts one, two, three and five where they pleaded not guilty.
NAN reports that the men, who were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), all hail from Suleja LGA of Niger State.
Count four alleged that the three defendants, sometime between January and May at Suleja LGA, concealed an information about Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab as terrorists who were masterminds of the kidnap of school children and teachers of Orire LGA of Oyo State but failed to report same to the relevant security operatives.
In count six where the men bagged a life imprisonment, the prosecution alleged that the defendants, on or about June 2 June at Suleja LGA, professed to be members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru) a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria.
The offence is contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
Details later
