A middle-aged man, Ali Shaban Hamma, has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly providing protection to members of Boko Haram in his community in Borno State.
Hamma, a father of 10 children, was convicted by Justice Binta Fatima Nyako and sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
The convict admitted knowing Boko Haram members in his village and said he ignorantly refused to report them to federal troops for arrest and prosecution.
He confessed that he had been associating with the terrorists since they arrived in his village to carry out criminal activities against the people.
He was prosecuted by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN.
Following his admission of guilt, Fagbemi urged Justice Nyako to sentence the convict to a minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment, citing the gravity of the offence of terrorism.
Fagbemi argued that the terrorists would have been brought to justice if the convict had not provided protection for them.
In her judgement, Justice Nyako did not agree to the request for a 20-year jail term. Instead, she sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The judge also ordered that the sentence should commence from 2012, when the convict was apprehended and taken into custody.
Father of 10 jailed 10 years for protecting Boko Haram members